Cruz remains on an All-Star pace in latest balloting

SEATTLE — Mariners cleanup hitter Nelson Cruz remains on track to be the American League’s starting designated hitter on July 11 at the All-Star Game in Miami.

Cruz holds a lead of 155,600 votes over Matt Holliday of the New York Yankees in the the latest balloting update released Tuesday by Major League Baseball. Cruz is a four-time All-Star who was voted as a starter in 2014 and 2015.

Balloting continues through 8:59 p.m. on June 29. All balloting is conducted online at www.MLB.com and all 30 club websites, including www.mariners.com. Voting updates are released each week.

Two other Mariners, Robinson Cano and Jean Segura, remain among the leaders at their positions, but each faces increasingly long odds at being voted into the starting lineup.

Cano is fourth among second basemen but trails Houston’s Jose Altuve, the leader, by 749,368 votes. Segura is fifth among shortstops but is 591,501 votes by first-place Francisco Lindor of Cleveland.

MLB only releases vote totals for the top 15 outfielders and the top five at other positions in its weekly updates. Updated National League results were released Monday.

Minnesota’s Miguel Sano is the leader at third base by 97,912 votes over Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez. The Twins open a three-game series Tuesday night against the Mariners at Safeco Field.

Bob Dutton: @TNT_Mariners

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Cruz remains on an All-Star pace in latest balloting."