
Rays slugger Junior Caminero to compete in Home Run Derby, start at third base in All-Star Game
In between, Caminero merely belted his 22nd homer of the season in the seventh inning of a 7-3 win in Detroit.
Caminero, who turned 22 on July 5, leads all AL third basemen in homers in what has been a breakout season. He is hitting .254 and driven in 58 runs for the Rays, who moved within four games of Toronto in the AL East on Wednesday night.
'I'm going to put on a show. I'm going to try to put on a show just to give the fans the opportunity to get to know me, see my power,' Caminero said. 'Just being there with all those other All-Stars, it's going to be something very special.'
Caminero is the sixth player to commit to the Home Run Derby, joining the Mariners' Cal Raleigh, James Wood of the Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Twins, the Pirates' Oneil Cruz and Ronald Acuna Jr. of the hosting Braves. Two more contestants are still to be announced, and Buxton's status is unclear after he was hit in the left hand in Wednesday night's win over the Cubs.
Caminero was picked earlier this week as the All-Star replacement for Boston's Alex Bregman, who has been dealing with a strained right quadriceps. He learned he would start at third base after Wednesday night's game after Cleveland's José Ramírez opted out of the Midsummer Classic so that he could rest an ailing Achilles tendon.
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes was chosen to replace Ramírez on the AL roster.
The only Rays players besides Caminero to participate in the Home Run Derby have been Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Randy Arozarena, who reached the finals two years ago before losing to Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
'We get to see (Caminero) do probably a modified Home Run Derby every time he takes batting practice. I'm excited for him. I'm excited for his family,' Rays manager Kevin Cash said. 'Somewhat of a coming-out party for him. Hopefully, he gets the recognition that we've all seen in the talent and the ability to hit the ball a long way.'
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Female Kenyan hockey players learn the game up-close in Toronto
Hanan Ali speeds down the ice as she completes practice drills at a summer training camp run by Black Girl Hockey Club in Toronto on July 12. to view this content.


Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Buxton hits for the cycle on his bobblehead day as Twins beat Pirates, 12-4
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton hit for the cycle on his bobblehead day, completing it with a solo home run in the seventh inning, and the Minnesota Twins routed the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-4 on Saturday. Buxton hit a single in the first inning, a triple in the second and a double in the third. He singled again in the fifth before stepping to the plate in the seventh for one more chance at the first cycle ever at Target Field, which opened in 2010. Facing Pirates reliever Andrew Heaney, Buxton hit a solo homer 427 feet to center field to complete the cycle — and send Target Field into a frenzy. His timing was perfect, too: Saturday's giveaway at the stadium was a Buxton bobblehead of his 'Buck Truck' home run celebration. Buxton's homer came two days before the Home Run Derby, in which he'll participate in his home state of Georgia at Truist Park in Atlanta. Kody Clemens hit a three-run homer in the Twins' six-run second inning. Matt Wallner and Willi Castro each hit solo homers, with Castro's coming right after Buxton's momentous blast. Cole Sands threw two hitless innings as Minnesota's opening pitcher. Reliever Travis Adams (1-0) gave up two hits and two runs — one unearned — in four innings to pick up his first career win in his second major league appearance. Pirates starter Mike Burrows (1-3) recorded just four outs before he was lifted in his shortest start of the year. Jack Suwinski homered for the Pirates, who lost their eighth straight game. Key moment Buxton's cycle was the highlight of the game, but it was Clemens' blast that opened the floodgates in the Twins' six-run second inning. Key stat Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Buxton became the 12th player in Twins history to hit for the cycle. Up next RHP Mitch Keller (3-10, 3.58 ERA) starts Pittsburgh's final game before the All-Star break. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4, 4.08) takes the mound Sunday for the Twins. ___ AP MLB:


Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Injury fill-in Alvarez scores winning run and Braves hit 3 HRs to edge Cardinals
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Sean Murphy, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Marcell Ozuna homered and the Atlanta Braves rallied against St. Louis' two top relievers to beat the Cardinals 7-6 on Saturday. Nacho Alvarez Jr., filling in for injured third baseman Austin Riley, singled twice and scored the winning run on Jurickson Profar's ninth-inning groundout against closer Ryan Helsley (3-1). Murphy, who hit the two longest home runs of this season at Busch Stadium on Friday night, put the Braves ahead 6-5 with a high drive that cleared the glove of José Fermín as he leaped at the left-field wall in the eighth. The three-run shot was Murphy's 16th homer of the season and the first allowed by reliever Phil Maton in 37 appearances this season. St. Louis tied it when pinch-runner Garrett Hampson scored on a wild pitch by Daysbel Hernández (4-1) in the eighth. Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 11th save. Yohel Pozo and Nolan Gorman homered, and Brendan Donovan had two hits, including an RBI single in the eighth, for the Cardinals. St. Louis, which had been shut out in each of Erick Fedde's previous three starts, broke through with three runs against Atlanta opener Aaron Bummer in the second inning to draw even after early home runs Acuña and Ozuna. Pozo led off the bottom of the second with a double into the left-field corner and scored on Thomas Saggese's RBI single. Gorman followed with a 423-foot blast to tie it at 3. Pozo added a go-ahead solo homer in the sixth. Acuña, who pulled himself out of the home run derby in Atlanta next Tuesday, hit a 379-foot drive into the Braves' bullpen in the first. Ozuna clobbered a 422-foot solo shot in the second, and Alvarez made it 3-0 with a single for his first big-league RBI in nine career games. Key moment After the St. Louis bullpen had retired seven in a row, Profar doubled to lead off the eighth and Acuña drew a one-out walk to set the table for Murphy's 372-foot drive. Key stat Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Murphy has seven home runs in his last 11 games. He had hit just two in his prior 33 games. Up next RHP Sonny Gray (9-3, 3.51 ERA), whose last turn in the rotation was moved up a day to allow him to squeeze in an extra start before the All-Star break takes the mound Sunday for St. Louis. Atlanta had not announced a starter. ___ AP MLB: