The Boston Red Sox will have three representatives in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game at Globe Life Field in Texas, but even a few former roster members earned a nod, too.
Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, outfielder Jarren Duran and starting pitcher Tanner Houck, who were selected for the American League's final roster on Sunday, will share the field with a trio of old friends -- two of which were members of the 2018 World Series championship team.
Here are the three former Red Sox players also named to the 94th annual All-Star Game:
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
Betts, 31, inherited a major responsibility when named the starting shortstop of the Dodgers in the offseason, but the two-time World Series champion has performed.
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Although Betts currently remains in recovery after suffering a fractured left hand in June, the 11-year veteran still logged a productive 72-game first half with Los Angeles. Betts batted .304 with 10 home runs, 16 doubles and 40 RBIs before landing on the injured list, earning himself an eighth consecutive All-Star appearance -- aside from 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic kept MLB from hosting an All-Star Game.
"I give myself a pat on the back, I usually don't," Betts said during Sunday's Dodgers-Brewers broadcast, per MLB video. "But to make the (positional) change and be a part of the Midsummer Classic. That's pretty cool."
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Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves
Sale, 35, searched for a fresh start when traded from the Red Sox to the Braves this past offseason, and that's exactly what Atlanta's provided the left-hander.
The now-eight-time All-Star has gone 11-3 with a 2.71 ERA and 127 strikeouts debuting with the Braves, giving Sale the same amount of wins he totaled through his final three seasons with the Red Sox. The red-hot first-half start makes Sale an early contender for MLB's 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award.
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"It's definitely satisfying," Sale said, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I appreciate it for sure. You go through some years like I had and you start thinking this could be a possibility again and to be in this position again."
Matt Strahm, Philadelphia Phillies
Strahm, 32, joined a franchise-record seven Phillies named to the All-Star Game, joining Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, Jeff Hoffman, Ranger Suárez, Trea Turner Zack Wheeler.
Last season, Philadelphia utilized Strahm in a hybrid role, using the left-hander both in a starter's role and out of the bullpen. But this season, Strahm's pitched exclusively as a reliever, going 4-1 with a 1.64 ERA in 35 appearances.
"I wasn't expecting much," Strahm told reporters Sunday, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.
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The National League and American League will take the field next Tuesday for the All-Star Game at 8 p.m. ET.
Featured image via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images