CHICAGO -- Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus will need help from the fans if he is going to join pitcher Yu Darvish and go to the All-Star Game for the third time in his career.
• Cast your Esurance Final Vote for Andrus
Andrus was selected as one of five American League players for the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote. The others are Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius, Rays first baseman Logan Morrison and Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas.
Voting ends at 3 p.m. CT on Thursday. Fans can show their support for Andrus by tweeting with #ElectElvis, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, any tweet that includes #ElectElvis will count toward his vote total.
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Darvish was selected to the team in the Players vote. If Andrus doesn't win the Final Vote, it will be the first time since 1988 that a Rangers position player did not go to the All-Star Game. Andrus went to the All-Star Game in 2010 and 2012.
"It would be an honor, for sure," Andrus said. "It's always great to play in the All-Star Game. It's a great experience being next to all those superstars."
Andrus' wife, Cori, is getting ready to deliver the couple's first child, which could make for an even more exciting All-Star break.
"It will be fine for me," Andrus said. "There are a lot of things going on in my head."
Andrus is hitting .302 with 11 home runs, 50 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. The 11 homers are a career high and his .475 slugging percentage is also the highest of his career. He is second in the league in stolen bases.
Moustakas was an All-Star in 2015 when he also was voted in during the Final Five voting, garnering 19.3 million votes. Moustakas is hitting .270 with 22 home runs and 49 RBIs. His 22 home runs have tied a career high, and he is on pace to break the Royals club record (36 by Steve Balboni) for home runs in a season.
After starting for the AL last year in his first All-Star appearance, Bogaerts is having another strong season for the Red Sox. The 24-year-old shortstop is slashing .314/.366/.455 with five homers, 39 RBIs and nine stolen bases for the AL East-leading Red Sox.
Seeking his first career All-Star selection, Gregorius is in his third season with the Yankees, having inherited the shortstop position from franchise legend Derek Jeter. The 27-year-old is hitting .310/.333/.489 with 11 doubles, 10 home runs and 36 RBIs in 57 games, having missed the first month of the season while he recovered from a right shoulder strain.
Morrison is in his eighth Major League season and has never been an All-Star. After a subpar season in 2016, Morrison was a free agent without any takers. The Rays eventually decided to sign him and the move paid off: the first-baseman is hitting .256 with 24 homers and 57 RBIs.
Fans can cast ballots for the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote on MLB.com, Club sites and their mobile devices until 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. The winners, as chosen exclusively by online fan voting totals, will then be announced during "MLB Tonight" live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m. Extensive coverage throughout the Final Vote will be provided by MLB Network and MLB.com, including interviews with the candidates, frequent updates, heat maps indicating where votes are being cast for each candidate, news on player and club campaigns, and a running countdown clock leading up to the announcement.
Now in its 16th season, with more than 680 million votes cast, the Final Vote again will include social votes on the last day of balloting, as Twitter support for the 10 candidates over the final six hours of balloting will count toward their vote totals. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET on Thursday, any tweet that includes a designated player hashtag will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the winners.
On Tuesday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET, tune in to the 2017 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 88th All-Star Game, in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.