Two roster spots were open for the 2009 Major League All-Star Game — one in the American League and one in the National League. After fans had their say, the two final spots will go to Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers and Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Victorino won with 15.6 million votes, while Inge won win 11.8 million votes. Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants finished second in the National League fan vote. Ian Kinsler finished second in the American League fan vote.

Inge, who has been extremely valuable to the Tigers due to his ability to play multiple positions, is hitting .264 with 19 homers and 54 RBIs. The 32-year-old is well on his way to having the best season of his big league career.

Victorino rose to fame last year as he helped the Phillies capture the 2009 World Series championship. This season, the 28-year-old outfielder is hitting .309 with six homers and 42 RBIs.

Voting for the final two spots of the All-Star game took place on MLB.com.

Brandon Inge is now an All-Star (Image: Zuma Press)

This time last year, it appeared as if Andruw Jones’ big league career could be over. On Wednesday, Jones proved once again hat his career is still alive and kicking.

Jones, hitting in the cleanup spot, hit homers in his first three at-bats to help the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels by a final score of 8-1. He hit a two-run homer in the first inning and then solo homers in the third and fifth.

Last season, Jones hit .158 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 209 at-bats. This season, Jones is hitting .250 with 14 homers and 35 RBIs in 160 at-bats.

Since entering the Major League Baseball as a 19-year-old phenom with the Atlanta Braves, Jones has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. This season, he appears to have saved his career.

With the win, the Rangers improved their record to 47-36 and into first place in the AL West. The Angels, 46-37, dropped into second place.

Andruw Jones - Rangers (Image: Zuma Press)

If you believe the current Pedro Martinez rumors, the former All-Star pitcher could soon join the Philadelphia Phillies. In fact, Ruben Amaro Jr., the general manager of the Phillies, was recently spotted in the Dominican Republic watching Martinez pitch a simulated game.

Martinez supposedly wants a $5 million prorated for the amount of the season that remains. While the Phillies might bulk at guaranteeing all that money, they may give him a contract full of incentives that could end up lucrative if Martinez plays well.

The 37-year-old Martinez has a possible Hall of Fame resume, however he struggled last year with the New York Mets. In 20 starts, he registered a 5.62 ERA and finished with a record of 5-6.

By signing Martinez, the Phillies would hope that he could provide the pitching depth needed to make a run at back-to-back World Series championships.

It makes sense for the Phillies to sign Martinez around the All-Star break if both teams can agree financially.

Pedro Martinez Phillies (Image: Zuma Press)

The 2009 National League All-Star roster has been announced. Besides these players, the fans still have the power to vote in one final player. The players on that ballot are Cristian Guzman, Matt Kemp, Mark Reynolds, Pablo Sandoval and Shane Victorino.

STARTERS
Catcher - Yadier Molina - STL
First Baseman - Albert Pujols - STL
Second Baseman - Chase Utley - PHI
Shortstop - Hanley Ramirez - FLA
Third Baseman - David Wright - NYM
Outfielder - Carlos Beltran - NYM
Outfielder - Ryan Braun - MIL
Outfielder - Raul Ibanez - PHI

PITCHERS
Pitcher - Heath Bell - SD
Pitcher - Chad Billingsley - LAD
Pitcher - Jonathan Broxton - LAD
Pitcher - Matt Cain - SF
Pitcher - Francisco Cordero - CIN
Pitcher - Ryan Franklin - STL
Pitcher - Dan Haren - ARI
Pitcher - Josh Johnson - FLA
Pitcher - Ted Lilly - CHC
Pitcher - Tim Lincecum - SF
Pitcher - Jason Marquis - COL
Pitcher - Francisco Rodriguez - NYM
Pitcher - Johan Santana - NYM

RESERVE PLAYERS
Catcher - Brian McCann - ATL
First Baseman - Prince Fielder - MIL
First Baseman - Adrian Gonzalez - SD
First Baseman - Ryan Howard - PHI
Second Baseman - Orlando Hudson - LAD
Second Baseman - Freddy Sanchez - PIT
Shortstop - Miguel Tejada - HOU
Third Baseman - Ryan Zimmerman - WSH
Outfielder - Brad Hawpe - COL
Outfielder - Hunter Pence - HOU
Outfielder - Justin Upton - ARI

Albert Pujols was the leading vote-getter (Image: Zuma Press)

The 2009 American League All-Star roster has been announced. Fans still have one final vote to fill the last spot on the roster. The players who are on the ballot are Chone Figgins, Brandon Inge, Ian Kinsler, Adam Lind and Carlos Pena.

Here is the roster for the American League in the 2009 MLB All-Star Game:

STARTERS
Catcher - Joe Mauer - MIN
1B - Mark Teixeira - NYY
Second Baseman - Dustin Pedroia - BOS
Shortstop - Derek Jeter - NYY
Third Baseman - Evan Longoria - TB
Outfielder - Jason Bay - BOS
Outfielder - Ichiro Suzuki - SEA
Outfielder - Josh Hamilton - TEX

PITCHERS
Pitcher - Andrew Bailey - OAK
Pitcher - Josh Beckett - BOS
Pitcher - Mark Buehrle - CWS
Pitcher - Brian Fuentes - LAA
Pitcher - Zack Greinke - KC
Pitcher - Roy Halladay - TOR
Pitcher - Felix Hernandez - SEA
Pitcher - Edwin Jackson - DET
Pitcher - Joe Nathan - MIN
Pitcher - Jonathan Papelbon - BOS
Pitcher - Mariano Rivera - NYY
Pitcher - Justin Verlander - DET
Pitcher - Tim Wakefield - BOS

RESERVE PLAYERS
Catcher - Victor Martinez - CLE
1B - Justin Morneau - MIN
1B - Kevin Youkilis - BOS
Second Baseman - Aaron Hill - TOR
Shortstop - Jason Bartlett - TB
Third Baseman - Michael Young - TEX
Outfielder - Carl Crawford - TB
Outfielder - Curtis Granderson - DET
Outfielder - Torii Hunter - LAA
Outfielder - Adam Jones - BAL
Outfielder - Ben Zobrist - TB

Carlos Pena still has a chance to make the roster (Image: Zuma Press)

After being suspended for 50 games due to a positive performance-enhancing drug test, Manny Ramirez was quiet in his first game back. In his second outing, he got right back to business by hitting a home run.

In the top of the first inning, Ramirez hit a solo shot to put the Los Angeles Dodgers up 1-0. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, they weren’t able to hold onto the lead. The San Diego Padres tied the game in the third and went on to win by a final count of 7-4.

Ramirez finished the game 1-for-3. On the season, he’s hitting .337 with seven homers, 21 RBIs and 23 runs. His on-base percentage is .480 and his OPS is 1.123.

Even with the loss, the Dodgers have baseball’s best record at 51-30. The disappointing Padres upped their record to 35-45 with the win.

The Dodgers play the Padres again on Sunday before starting a series against the New York Mets. Ramirez is expected to keep playing left field and hitting in the three hole in the lineup.

Manny Ramirez hit a home run (Image: Zuma Press)

Aroldis Chapman has reported defected from Cuba while traveling with the Cuban national team in Holland. This is major news in the baseball world because he’s considered one of the best pitching prospects on the planet.

Chapman is a left-handed pitcher who virtually every international baseball scout is high on. His fastball has been clocked as fast as 102 MPH. He also has a quality slider and curveball.

Perhaps best of all — Chapman is only 21 years old. Once he hits the open market, expect a fierce bidding war for the Cuban sensation.

Jose Contreras, another defector from Cuba, received a contract in excess of $30 million. However, Contreras was an older prospect when he signed and his ceiling wasn’t overly high. In this situation, Chapman’s value should be much greater.

Many experts are predicting that Aroldis Chapman will get a contract worth anywhere from $50 million to $75 million.

Aroldis Chapman - Cuba (Image: Zuma Press)

Jim Leyritz is either a criminal or very unlucky. Already awaiting a DUI manslaughter trial, Leyritz was arrested on Thursday for allegedly battering his ex-wife. The incident took place in South Florida near the city of Fort Lauderdale.

Since he was free on bail, the judge removed that bail after this latest charge. Leyritz now remains behind bars.

In the DUI manslaughter case, Leyritz was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when he got in a vehicle incident that resulted in a death. His trail for that charge is more than two months away.

Leyritz last played in the big leagues in 200. He’s likely best known for his time with the New York Yankees. He played for the Yankees from 1999 to 1996 and then again in 1999.

For his career, Leyritz had 90 homers, 387 RBIs, 325 runs and a batting average of .264. He was born in 1963 in the city of Lakewood, Ohio.

Jim Leyritz Arrested (Image: Zuma Press)

Nyjer Morgan was enjoying a breakout season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’ll have to now complete that season with the Washington Nationals. Morgan was traded along with Sean Burnett from the Pirates to the Nationals for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan.

On the season, Morgan is hitting .277 with two homers, 27 RBIs, 39 runs and 18 stolen bases. The 28-year-old is an everyday starter for the first time in his big league career.

Burnett is a 26-year-old relief pitcher. Prior to the trade, he had a 3.06 ERA in 38 appearances with the Pirates. He began his career as a starter but is now a full-time reliever.

The Pirates get a player in Milledge who has a ton of potential. He was expected to breakout this year with the Nationals but has instead found himself in the minor leagues. If the center fielder can get back on track, he could turn out to be the best player in the trade.

Hanrahan has struggled this year. After pitching well in 2008, he has a 7.71 ERA in 34 appearances so far in 2009.

Nyjer Morgan - Washington Nationals (Image: Zuma Press)

Mike Lowell, the third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, will be placed on the disabled list due to a strain to his right hip. His placement will be retroactive to June 28th.

Last October, Lowell had surgery on the same hip. Since it is a surgery repaired hip, there is some concern surrounding the team. However, this move is thought to be more of a precautionary measure.

On the season, the 35-year-old native of Puerto Rico is hitting .282 with ten homers, 41 RBIs, 30 runs and 18 doubles. Since June 19th, Lowell only has nine at-bats due to this injury. In that stretch he is only 1-9.

Jeff Bailey will be brought up from the minor leagues to replace Lowell. Bailey is able to play in the outfield and at first base.

The Red Sox are currently 47-29. They have the best record in the American League and the second best record in baseball — slightly behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mike Lowell - Red Sox (Image: Zuma Press)