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A's trio in running for All-Star appearance

The first American League All-Star ballot update was released on Monday, with a trio of A's players among those represented in the top votes.

With 523,743 votes, Jed Lowrie came in at fourth among shortstops, behind Texas' Elvis Andrus, Baltimore's J.J. Hardy and Jhonny Peralta of the Tigers. Peralta has picked up 540,581 votes, while Hardy and Andrus have each garnered more than 700,000.

Outfielders Yoenis Cespedes and Coco Crisp tallied nearly the same number of votes, the former getting 395,475 and the latter coming in at 392,202. But the spread between their standing and the top is vast, as top outfield vote-getter Mike Trout of the Angels drew in nearly 1.2 million votes.

"Maybe we get a little bit more of a spotlight based on what they did last year, but it is nice to see some of these guys get rewarded for what is a very good performance," manager Bob Melvin said. "Jed's had a very consistent year for us at short, so I'm glad his name does show up there, and certainly what Yoenis and Coco mean to us is maybe not as well-known as we feel it here in this clubhouse."

Notably missing from this first ballot update was Josh Donaldson's name. The A's third baseman surely boasts the numbers to earn his first All-Star nod, as he entered Monday ranking third among all AL third basemen with a .319 average. His .920 OPS was second only to Miguel Cabrera's 1.110. Cabrera leads all AL vote-getters with 1,500,165.

"Josh Donaldson is having a heckuva year at third base," Melvin said, "but there are a lot of guys who are having good years at that position, too."

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via your mobile device -- using the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until Thursday, July 4, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Fans may submit 25 online ballots during the voting period, but can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, visit www.mlb.com and register in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

Fans can also once again participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league who they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2013 Home Run Derby -- part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day -- will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 15.

The 2013 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on Sunday, July 7, on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, televised nationally on TBS. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the All-Star Game Final Vote sponsored by freecreditscore.com on MLB.com.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16. Come to MLB.com for extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.

The 84th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM also will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Jane Lee is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Major Lee-ague, and follow her on Twitter @JaneMLB.
Read More: Oakland Athletics, Jed Lowrie, Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Donaldson, Coco Crisp