Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Marcell Ozuna nominated as All-Star substitutes

The Atlanta Braves were left empty-handed in the fan vote for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, but had three players nominated as reserves for the National League. Pitchers Chris Sale and Reynaldo López and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna will travel to Arlington on Tuesday, July 16, to participate in the game.

Ozuna is the only Braves outfielder to make the National League, and his selection was a no-brainer. He finished third in the fan vote behind Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber, but has put together another monster season at bat. Ozuna has a batting average of .295/.377/.566 with 23 home runs and a wRC+ of 162. He leads the National League with 72 RBIs.

Atlanta’s pitching staff did most of the work in the first half. There were arguably no better offseason additions than Sale and Lopez. The Braves acquired Sale in an offseason trade with the Red Sox and he was simply great, posting a 2.71 ERA and a 2.26 FIP in 16 starts and 99 ²⁄₃ innings. His 32.7% strikeout rate is the third-best in the major leagues among starters, trailing only Garrett Crochet and Tyler Glasnow. Sale is healthy for the first time since 2019, and his presence has given the Braves’ rotation a huge boost.

As good as Sale is, Lopez could be even better. The Braves signed him as a free agent to a three-year deal and then announced they would give him the opportunity to play as a starter. Lopez was originally slated to be a starter, but has had success as a power pitcher out of the bullpen recently. His presence as a starter became even more important after Spencer Strider suffered a season-ending elbow injury.

Lopez was outstanding, throwing six scoreless innings against the Phillies on Sunday. He currently leads the majors with an ERA of 1.71 in 89 ²⁄₃ Innings over 16 starts.