Rizzo among Cubs hoping for ASG selection

CHICAGO -- Will Anthony Rizzo get a second trip to the All-Star Game? Can Kris Bryant add another honor to his already impressive rookie resume? Could Starlin Castro be a four-time All-Star? Will Jake Arrieta be recognized for his solid first half?

The Cubs will find out tonight which players make the National League All-Star team, when the reserves and pitchers are announced. The starters were announced on Sunday night.

In the latest voting, released one week ago, Bryant was third among NL third basemen, while Castro was fourth, and Rizzo and catcher Miguel Montero both fifth at their respective positions.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon has lobbied for Rizzo, who ranks among the NL leaders in several offensive categories, including extra-base hits (41), doubles (24), and on-base percentage (.405).

"He's definitely that anchor in the middle of the lineup who you want to build around," Maddon said of Rizzo, who was batting .292 with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs.

"To envision a lineup without him out there would be very difficult," Maddon said. "He hits righties, hits lefties, plays a really good first base, has been a really good baserunner. He's played a really complete game."

Rizzo, 25, who made the All-Star team last year, winning MLB.com's Final Vote, is hoping to get a spot in a deep class of first basemen, which includes the D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt -- who was named a starter Sunday -- the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez and the Reds' Joey Votto.

He, and other Cub hopefuls, will find out along with fans at 6 CT tonight, when the All-Star reserves, pitchers and Final Vote candidates will be announced on the Esurance All-Star Selection Show on ESPN. Immediately following the show, fans can return to MLB.com to begin voting to select the final player for each League's 34-man roster via the 2015 Esurance All-Star Game Final Vote. Fans can cast their votes from a list of five players from each league until 3 p.m. CT on Friday, July 10.

And the voting doesn't end there. During the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, July 14 -- played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati -- fans can once again visit MLB.com to submit their choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award. Voting exclusively at MLB.com, online and via their mobile devices in the 2015 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, the fans' collective voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

Video: Must C Classic: Bryant sparks the Cubs on July 4th

Bryant, 23, who leads the team with 49 RBIs, is vying to be the first Cubs rookie to be named to the All-Star team since Geovany Soto in 2008. Bryant already has made a mark in the Cubs' record books. He's the first Cubs rookie to hit two grand slams in a single season since Hall of Famer Billy Williams did so in 1961. Bryant also won NL Rookie of the Month honors in May, when he batted .265, hit seven home runs and drove in 22 runs in 28 games.

A three-time All-Star, Castro, 25, trailed the Cardinals' Jhonny Peralta -- who was named a starter -- the Giants' Brandon Crawford and the Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki in the fan balloting. Castro was batting .257 with five home runs and 36 RBIs.

Video: MIA@CHC: Castro makes a nice backhand play at short

Montero, who turns 32 on Thursday, was named to the NL All-Star team in 2011 and last year as a member of the D-backs. The Cubs' catcher was batting .235 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs.

Arrieta, 29, who will start Tuesday against the Cardinals, is 8-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 16 starts, and ranks among the NL leaders in wins, innings pitched, ERA, and strikeouts (110).

MLB.TV Premium subscribers will be able to live stream the All-Star Game via MLB.TV through FOX's participating video providers. Access will be available across more than 400 supported MLB.TV platforms, including the award-winning MLB.com At Bat app. MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities, including the 2015 Gillette Home Run Derby presented by Head & Shoulders, part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 13. The Derby will feature a new format with brackets and timed rounds and will be broadcast live by ESPN and MLB.com beginning at 7 p.m. CT.

The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports (6 p.m. CT air time, 7:15 p.m. CT first pitch), in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Last year, the Cubs had three representatives at the game as Castro, Rizzo and Jeff Samardzija were all named to the NL team.