Matt Carpenter Cardinals' lone selection to All-Star Game

As it stands right now, Matt Carpenter will be the lone Cardinals' representative at the All-Star Game in San Diego next week. (Yadier Molina, poised to miss his first All-Star Game since 2008, was beat out by Buster Posey.) Carpenter, of course, is having an outstanding year. Heading into Tuesday's game he was hitting .305/.427/.581, good for a 168 wRC+, which leads the NL.

Carpenter has played all over the infield this season but he won't be getting the starting nod at 2B or 3B. The entire National League starting infield will comprise of Cubs, which is only the second time that's happened and was first accomplished by the Cardinals in 1963 (Bill White - 1B; Julian Javier - 2B (filling in for an injured Bill Mazeroski); SS - Dick Groat; 3B - Ken Boyer). Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell and Kris Bryant are the starters. Rizzo and Bryant are good selections, Carpenter should be in Zobrist's spot but it's not an outrage, and the Russell selection is just bad.

NL SS, by wRC+
Seager: 142
Aledmys Diaz: 137
Story: 112
Villar: 111
Espinosa: 111
Crawford 110
Cozart 108
Cabrera 103
Mercer 103
Russell 100

— viva el birdos (@vivaelbirdos) July 5, 2016

Aside from the fact that this game still determines home field in the World Series, this is merely an exhibition and there's no reason to get too worked up over any snubs. And with the way the Cardinals have played the first two games of their current series with Pittsburgh I see nothing wrong with most of this squad getting some extra rest.