Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero won't get as much rest and relaxation during the All-Star break as he'd originally planned.
That's because the D-Backs catcher has been selected as a last-minute addition to tomorrow night's All-Star Game at Chase Field.
Montero was chosen by San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who's skipper of this year's National League All-Star team, to replace injured Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco.
The switch was made last night after Polanco sat out Philly's series against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend because of a bulging disc. It's just one of slew of lineup changes for the All-Star Game made over the weekend 'cause of injuries. MLB superstars Matt Cain of San Francisco and David Price of Tampa Bay, for instance, also were pulled from the midsummer classic after sustaining injuries.
Montero -- who's been having one of his better seasons this year, batting .272 with 45 RBI and 10 homers -- will join slugger Justin Upton as the only hometown heroes on the roster for the game. While both players will be on the NL squad's reserve roster, don't be surprised if they get a few turns at bat, especially considering how fast major leaguers are getting pulled.
The news came a day after Montero's 28th birthday and probably helped lessen the blow of back-to-back losses by the D-Backs to the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend, as the Snakes were defeated 7-6 on Saturday and 4-2 on Sunday. The D-Backs won the first two games in the Cardinals series.
