Rays Slugger Junior Caminero Named as All-Star Reserve
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Major League Baseball on Tuesday announced that Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero will replace Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman as a reserve for the American League All-Star Team.
Junior Caminero is a first-time All-Star!
— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2025
He replaces Alex Bregman on the AL's active roster. pic.twitter.com/lLe7K7l2HR
The selection is the first of Caminero's career, and he joins fellow teammates Brandon Lowe and Jonathan Aranda on the AL squad.
At 22 years old, Caminero's season has been nothing short of electric. In 85 games, Caminero is leading his team and sits in the top 10 in the league with 21 home runs.
Leading up to his 22nd birthday on July 5, Caminero broke multiple records, including being the only player age 21 or younger to hit more than 19 home runs through June in a season in American League history.
Additionally, Caminero is second among all players at his position in home runs and RBIs (57), trailing only Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez (28 homers, 74 RBIs).
Despite his prolific plate production, Caminero lagged during most of the All-Star voting. Through the end of June, he couldn't move past sixth place and was eventually left out altogether.
However, a quad injury to Bregman will keep him out of the game, opening the door for Caminero.
In June, Tampa Bay's third-year slugger said that if he earned an All-Star selection, he would like to compete in the Home Run Derby.
"If I get selected, and they give me the opportunity, yes," Caminero said in an appearance on Foul Territory TV. "I'm not going to say that I'm going to win, but I'm going to put on a great show for the fans, and it's going to be entertaining."
Whether Caminero participates or not, Rays fans can celebrate their young star securing a spot in the Midsummer Classic.
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Don Strouble is a sports journalist who covers Tampa Bay Rays baseball and other sports for the ‘’On SI’’ network. He is a Northeast Ohio native and currently lives in Orlando, Fla.
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