Profar Voted in As Starter to Make First All-Star Team While Padres Stage Comeback in Texas

Jurickson Profar has broken out this year, no question. It’s been a charming ride as well, with Padre teammates campaigning to make him an All-Star and the outfielder more focused on how much the honor would matter to his son Khairy.

“He loves baseball so much. He’s always watching the Home Run Derby while I’m like, ‘Nah, I don’t want to watch baseball during the All-Star break.’ But he wants to watch it,” Profar told MLB.com of his little one. “He’s always talking about baseball. So that’s why it would mean a lot.”

Well, Wednesday was Khairy’s day – and Profar’s too – as he saw his dad rank among the top vote-getters, making him a member of the National League All-Star squad.

The veteran outfielder earned it, leading NL outfielders in three categories, including batting average, at .311. “Clearly, I mean, this guy is as deserving as anybody in the league,” manager Mike Shildt said.

That wasn’t the only good news for the Padres Wednesday as they came from behind for a 6-4 win against the Rangers – who, incidentally, will host Profar and the other All-Stars in less than two weeks for the big game.

Manny Machado stayed hot, giving the Padres an early 2-0 lead with his 11th homer of the year, but Texas answered with three runs in their half of the third inning. The Friars, though, scored one run each in the fifth and the sixth before David Peralta’s decisive blast in the seventh gave them a 6-4 lead that stuck.

Michael King takes the mound Thursday against Max Scherzer as the Padres try to take the series from the reigning World Series champs.

In other All-Star news, Fernando Tatis Jr. also won in the final round of fan voting, but his leg injury will almost certainly keep him out of the July 16 game. It’s a milestone though, as he made the team at a second position – fans voted him in at shortstop in 2021.

The Brewers’ Christian Yelich snagged the third NL All-Star outfield spot.

The Padres had two other finalists, Luis Arraez and Machado, on the ballot, but Ketel Marte of Arizona and Alec Bohm of Philadelphia, respectively, beat them out.

MLB has the full list of All-Star starters. Pitchers and reserves will be named at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, live on ESPN.