MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Brian Dozier is an American League All-Star after all.
Major League Baseball announced Saturday the Minnesota Twins second baseman was added to the squad by AL manager Ned Yost, replacing Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista. Bautista will skip the All-Star game to receive treatment on the sore right shoulder he's been playing through for several weeks.
The Target Field public address announcer broke the news as the top of the fourth inning was about to begin in Minnesota's game against the Detroit Tigers. As a close-up of Dozier at his position was shown on the video board, Dozier smiled and doffed his cap to the roaring crowd.
 
Twins 2B Brian Dozier gets Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista's All-Star spot
 
Dozier was beaten out by Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas in an online contest for the last spot on the team, despite an aggressive marketing campaign by the Twins to drum up votes. The team had a bulldozer parked on the plaza in a thematic display outside the ballpark this week.
This will be Dozier's first All-Star appearance. He's in his fourth major league season.
Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros and Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians were the second basemen originally selected for the squad, but Dozier's slick fielding and production at the plate were impossible to ignore. Dozier entered the game Saturday with a .259 batting average, 19 home runs and 49 RBIs plus a league-leading 66 runs and 48 extra-base hits.
 

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