Andrus leading AL shortstops in All-Star vote

ARLINGTON -- Elvis Andrus is leading the American League voting at shortstop for the All-Star Game in a tight race with Baltimore's J.J. Hardy in the first update of fan balloting released Monday.

Andrus has 727,555 votes while Hardy has 717,103 votes. Andrus is the only Rangers player who leads his position. Second baseman Ian Kinsler, despite being on the disabled list, and designated hitter Lance Berkman are each second at their position and third baseman Adrian Beltre is third. Nelson Cruz is fourth among outfielders, with the top three being selected to the starting lineup.

Catcher A.J. Pierzynski is fourth at his position and first baseman Mitch Moreland is fifth. The Rangers are looking to extend their five-year run of having at least two players in the AL starting lineup.

Andrus has been to the All-Star Game two times as a reserve. He was selected by the manager in 2012 and voted as a reserve by the players in '10. Kinsler, far behind Robinson Cano of the Yankees, has never been voted in as a starter but has been selected three times as a reserve, in 2008, '10 and '12.

Berkman is trying to become an All-Star Game at his fourth different position and for the first time in the AL. He started in center field in 2004, at first base in '08 and left field in '11. This is the first time Berkman has been on a ballot in the AL.

Beltre, who trails Detroit's Miguel Cabrera and Baltimore's Manny Machado, is going for his fourth straight All-Star appearance and his third straight start. He was voted to the AL starting lineup in 2012 by the fans and replaced injured Alex Rodriguez in '11. Beltre was a reserve in '10.

Cruz is not far behind Torii Hunter of the Tigers for the third outfield spot. Cruz was selected to the 2009 All-Star team as an injury replacement but did not appear in the game. He did finish second in the Home Run Derby, losing in the final to Prince Fielder.

Pierzynski was a reserve for the AL in the 2002 All-Star Game while still with the Twins. He caught the last six innings in a game that ended in a 7-7 tie and was 0-for-3 at the plate. Pierzynski was also on the AL team while with the White Sox in 2006, when he won the Final Vote but did not play in the game at Pittsburgh.

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 July 4 at 10:59 p.m. CT.

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 7 p.m. CT on 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.

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 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.