Riley Greene's Spot in the American League All-Star Lineup Revealed
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The 2026 MLB All-Star break has officially started as the majority of teams will get four days off before making the second-half push.
The Home Run Derby will commence at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Monday, followed by the All-Star Game on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Detroit Tigers' outfielder Riley Greene was named a starter for the American League. He'll bat eighth and play left field for Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider.
A.L. Starting Lineup
Here is the starting lineup for the A.L. team:
1. Mike Trout CF (Los Angeles Angels)
2. Yordan Alvarez DH (Houston Astros)
3. Shea Langeliers C (Athletics)
4. Junior Caminero 3B (Tampa Bay Rays)
5. Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals)
6. Cody Bellinger RF (New York Yankees)
7. Ben Rice 1B (New York Yankees)
8. Riley Greene LF (Detroit Tigers)
9. Ernie Clement (Toronto Blue Jays)
The A.L. lineup will face off against starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies. This marks the third consecutive All-Star nod for Greene. He was in the starting lineup last season, hitting second.
However, Greene is still searching for his first hit in the All-Star Game. He's 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. The 25-year-old will likely have two or three at-bats before being pulled.
The A.L. starting lineup received a couple of changes. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was voted as the starting first baseman, but he opted out of the game. Then his replacement, Nick Kurtz, got injured just before the break, so now Rice earns the nod.
Greene received a spot in the lineup after Aaron Judge and Byron Buxton were not eligible to play due to injury. However, his spot was well-earned. Greene has had a tremendous start to the season, slashing .288/.380/.462 with 99 hits, 13 home runs, and 45 RBIs.
Strikeouts have been a major problem during Greene's short career. He was second in the league in strikeouts (201) last year. He still has 108 punchouts this year, but he's made strides in getting on base via the walk. Greene has already drawn five more walks than he did all of last season.
Other Tigers Joining Greene in the All-Star Game
Detroit is well represented in this year's Midsummer Classic. Catcher Dillon Dingler and shortstop Kevin McGonigle are both making their All-Star debuts.
Dingler leads the team in home runs (19), RBIs (60), and slugging percentage (.502). McGonigle leads in several categories, including on-base percentage (.392), walks (60), and stolen bases (11).
In addition, Justin Verlander was named a Commissioner's Legend Pick, but will not be active for the game.
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Zion Trammell graduated from TCU in 2023 with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He currently writes for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. In addition to writing, he is the play-by-play voice for Southlake Carroll baseball and hosts a TCU show on the Bleav Network. X: @zion_trammell