Abreu makes All-Star voting leap despite injury

Even a trip to the disabled list couldn't slow Jose Abreu in the eyes of All-Star Game voters.

The rookie slugger made a strong push in the last week up to the No. 2 spot among American League first basemen vying for the starting job in the 2014 All-Star Game at Target Field. Abreu, now with 602,628 votes, trails just Detroit's Miguel Cabrera (962,138). Albert Pujols, who held the second spot last week, is in third with 569,211 votes.

Meanwhile, teammate Alexei Ramirez maintains his strong grip on the No. 2 spot among AL shortstops, but he has a long way to go to catch Yankees star Derek Jeter. The New York shortstop (1,007,968) is one of just three players in the league tallying more than 1 million votes two weeks into the balloting. Ramirez has accrued 867,156 votes.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or on a mobile device -- using the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot Sponsored by Experian until Thursday, July 3, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15.

Fans may submit up to 25 online ballots, but they 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, register on the site in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

When vote totals were released Abreu had not seen game action since May 17 because of left ankle tendinitis, but he remained tied for third among AL hitters with 15 home runs and led the team with 42 RBIs. The AL's Player and Rookie of the Month for April was activated from the DL in time for Monday's series opener against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, and hit a two-run homer off Clayton Kershaw in a 5-2 loss.

"The bottom line is it's better for us to have him in [the lineup] and I'd rather have him in there than not have him in there," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "I think he feels the same way. He's just ready to get going.

Ramirez leads all AL shortstops in batting average (.327), WAR (2.6), runs (32), hits (72), home runs (7), RBIs (36) and OPS (.842), but he has his work cut out for him against the iconic Jeter, whose 2014 season is serving as a farewell tour before his retirement at the end of the year.

Fans this year once again can 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 2014 Home Run Derby 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 14.

The 2014 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on the 2014 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show during the weekend of July 5-6, with further details to follow on MLB.com. Immediately following the announcement of the AL and NL All-Star rosters, fans can begin voting to select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian. Fans will cast their votes from a list of five players from each league over the balloting period.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the 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 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.

The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, 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 will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.