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Now that fan voting is finished Golden Tate Jersey White , it’s a good time to take a hard look at All-Star Game selections.

Which players are worthy of participating July 17 in Washington, and who gets left out?

Let’s touch on this topic first: Shohei Ohtani is incredibly talented and fascinating to watch, but the Los Angeles Angels‘ two-way Japanese star simply hasn’t been on the field enough to earn a spot. Not at pitcher OR designated hitter.

Ohtani just returned to the lineup from an elbow injury that’s knocked him off the mound for now. He’s only made nine major league pitching starts, and the Angels have limited his at-bats all season due to concerns about the rookie’s workload.

So while it would definitely be fun to see him in baseball’s summer showcase, there are several more deserving American League sluggers at DH. It wouldn’t be fair to deny one of them in favor of Ohtani. And he’s unavailable to pitch at this point.

Let him win his invitation next season with a fully healthy and productive first half. Or the year after that. Or whenever it happens.

Buzzkill, I know.

But even without Ohtani, there’s plenty to watch for leading up to the first All-Star Game in the nation’s capital since the Senators hosted at RFK Stadium in 1969.

Start with Atlanta outfielder Nick Markakis. With more than 2,150 career hits, he’s poised to make an All-Star team for the first time in his 13th big league season.

Matt Kemp, Miles Mikolas and Mike Foltynewicz are enjoying feel-good comebacks.

Robinson Cano, the MVP of last year’s game, will sit this one out while serving a drug suspension.

Injuries may keep familiar stars such as Clayton Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Correa and Corey Seager from returning, but in their place should be exciting newcomers like Aaron Nola Sergei Bobrovsky Jersey , Ozzie Albies, Alex Bregman and Eddie Rosario.

The American League has won five times in a row and is 17-3-1 in the last 21 years.

”I want to win. I always want to win. It’s not playing for home-field advantage anymore in the World Series, but all these guys are competitors and they want to win for their respective league,” said National League manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

There’s a logjam at shortstop in the AL, and the NL bullpen is loaded.

That sort of thing is where it gets complicated: Each roster has 32 spots, with 12 going to pitchers. Every club must be represented, too.

Online voting for the starters at each position ended at midnight Thursday, and the teams will be revealed Sunday night.

”I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be a great experience,” said Houston’s AJ Hinch, who will manage the AL squad. ”It’s as casual a game as you’ll play with the biggest names on the stage, and all the attention that comes with it. It’s a big deal.”

Disregarding fan and player balloting, here are our picks:

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

FIRST BASE – Jose Abreu of the White Sox gets the start, barely nudging out Toronto switch-hitter Justin Smoak.

SECOND BASE – AL MVP Jose Altuve from the World Series champion Astros is backed up by 34-year-old Oakland veteran Jed Lowrie, whose first All-Star nod is probably long overdue.

SHORTSTOP – Cleveland whiz Francisco Lindor is in the lineup. Top trade target Manny Machado from lowly Baltimore, and Jean Segura from Seattle are on the bench. Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons of the Angels is really tough to leave out.

THIRD BASE – Jose Ramirez gives the Indians both starters on the left side of the infield. Bregman backs up at the hot corner Craig Smith Jersey , from Houston.

CATCHER – Wilson Ramos is a big reason the Rays are holding their own. Perennial pick Salvador Perez represents the struggling Royals despite his subpar season.

OUTFIELD – Angels star Mike Trout plays center, with Boston’s Mookie Betts in left and Yankees masher Aaron Judge in right. Reserves include Rosario from the Twins, Mitch Haniger from the Mariners, and Nicholas Castellanos from the Tigers.

DESIGNATED HITTER – J.D. Martinez has been worth every penny during his first season in Boston. Texas’ Shin-Soo Choo and New York hulk Giancarlo Stanton, last year’s NL MVP, both still play the outfield sometimes, which helps. Seattle slugger Nelson Cruz is a very difficult omission.

STARTING PITCHERS – Luis Severino is in line to become the first Yankees pitcher to start an All-Star Game since Roger Clemens in 2001. Other right-handers include Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Charlie Morton from Houston, plus Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer from Cleveland. The left-handers are Boston ace Chris Sale and Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell. Seattle lefty James Paxton is our top pick to replace Verlander, who doesn’t plan to pitch in the All-Star Game because he’s scheduled to start two days before.

RELIEVERS – Four filthy closers in the bullpen: Yankees lefty Aroldis Chapman, plus right-handers Craig Kimbrel (Boston), Edwin Diaz (Seattle) and Blake Treinen (Oakland).

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

FIRST BASE – Braves cornerstone Freddie Freeman starts over Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt, who overcame a miserable May with a monster June.

SECOND BASE – The unexpected starter at a competitive position is Scooter Gennett from the Reds. Right behind him are flashy Javier Baez from the Cubs and 21-year-old igniter Ozzie Albies from the surprising Braves.

SHORTSTOP – San Francisco pro Brandon Crawford is backed up by Colorado bopper Trevor Story.

THIRD BASE – No After catching 11 passes and being targeted 15 times in his first game since breaking an ankle 11 months ago, New York Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. was admittedly sore.

The NFL's highest-paid receiver was also happy about his game, optimistic about the future Youth Mikko Koivu Jersey , and even a little impish in dealing with his nearby locker room buddy, Saquon Barkley.

For a night, the 25-year-old Beckham walked off with the ball the No. 2 overall draft pick carried on his first NFL touchdown, a 68-yard run against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 20-15 loss.

When asked about the ball Thursday, Beckham kept the joke going.

"No, that's at my house. It's gone already," he quipped as the Giants continued preparations for a Sunday night game in Dallas. "No, I gave it back to him. It's funny how just being in the locker room, it's like your brother and you're joking around with him. Next thing you know, it's across the entire world. It really was nothing more than me just messing around with my boys. I gave him his ball back."

Beckham grinned after finishing the sentence, another sign the 25-year-old is enjoying a second chance to play the game he loves after a serious injury to his left ankle.

Barkley confirmed he has the ball.

"There was no way I was not getting that ball back," Barkley said.

Looking back on Sunday, Beckham said there were some things that could have been better: The precision and depth of his routes, particularly one post route where he was a little off and Eli Manning could not connect with him in the end zone.

It was a first-game thing.

Beckham is excited about the new offense that features Barkley in the backfield and has tight end Evan Engram and receiver Sterling Shepard. All are capable of making big plays.

"We're always one play away," Beckham said. "It can be any second of the game. Like you saw him (Barkley) take it 68 yards. That's what he does. A slant http://www.officialislanders.com/authentic-adidas-adam-pelech-jersey , we're going 60. Evan is liable to go at any time. I get on Shep all the time: It's time for you to start taking these slants to the house. It's a one-play-away offense."

Beckham is the focal point of it. He says he will gladly take 15 targets every game and the resulting hits that go along with it.

He also won't mind if the Cowboys interfere with him the way the Jags did. He drew interference calls of 30 and 15 yards late in the second quarter to set up a field goal.

Beckham insisted both plays would have gone for touchdowns had the Jags not used the "Hack-a-Shaq" defense.

For those interested, he does have a special touchdown celebration planned. He also can't wait to win again.

"There's no feeling like winning," said Beckham, whose last win was at the end of the 2016 season. "Just the overall feeling of everybody in the locker room and knowing we did what we had to do. We'll live on this moment for a little bit. Cool, and then get back to work. Everybody here wants to win, and we know the importance of this game. We know you don't want to get 0-2, and start the season off that way, even though it is a long season. You just want to start fast and finish fast, and finish strong, too."

Beckham has already started fast. He just needs his teammates to catch up.

NOTES: CB Janoris Jenkins left the field just before the start of practice because of a family emergency, the team said. Teammates and coaches seemed to be offering support as he returned to the locker room. Jenkins had an interception Sunday. ... Shepard returned to practice after sitting out Wednesday with back spasms. ... LB Olivier Vernon (ankle) did not practice. ... LB Tae Davis (hamstring) and RB Wayne Gallman (knee) were limited. ... Barkley had communications with Cowboys running back and former Big Ten Conference opponent Ezekiel Elliott after Sunday's game. "He texted me saying congratulations on the touchdown run and the start of the season."

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