Royals need late push to draw All-Star nods

KANSAS CITY -- Looks like the Royals will have to depend on the players' vote or a managerial selection for their spots on the American League All-Star team.

Their only contender among the fans' voting leaders, Alex Gordon, has slipped to 11th among the AL outfielders. He has 1,416,887 votes, well off the pace of leaders Mike Trout of the Angels, Adam Jones of the Orioles and Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays.

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

Gordon is likely to get strong consideration for the AL roster along with catcher Salvador Perez, designated hitter Billy Butler, shortstop Alcides Escobar, starting pitchers Jeremy Guthrie, Ervin Santana, James Shields and closer Greg Holland.

Though originally scheduled for July 7, the 2013 rosters will now be unveiled Saturday, July 6, at 5:30 p.m. CT on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Taco Bell. The show will be televised nationally on FOX.

Fans can still cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via a mobile device -- using the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until Thursday, 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, fans must be logged into an MLB.com account when submitting any online ballot. To obtain 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 whom 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 Monday, July 15.

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 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.