Death, taxes and… Pete Alonso in the Home Run Derby.
The New York Mets star slugger will participate in this year’s edition of the event for the fifth straight time, attempting to become a three-time winner after claiming the title in 2019 and 2021.
“I am so honored to be selected as an All-Star and represent the Mets!” Alonso announced on Instagram. “I’m excited to announce that I will participate in the Home Run Derby!”
Alonso is attempting to tie Ken Griffey Jr.’s record of three Derby triumphs. Once he was named to the All-Star Game roster on Sunday, it seemed likely he would be back for the Home Run Derby.
“If I’m selected to the All-Star team, then I am definitely open to doing it,” he told reporters Saturday. “It’s a super fun event.”
Alonso will join fellow All-Stars Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles and Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies in the event, with more participants yet to be officially announced.
“Watching it as a kid growing up, just obviously something that seemed like it’d be pretty cool, and to have that opportunity is pretty special,” Henderson told reporters in late June. “So I’m looking forward to it.”
While Alonso is a prototypical power hitter and Henderson has raked 27 dingers this season, Bohm is more of a line-drive hitter. That has produced 70 RBI while hitting cleanup for the MLB-leading Phillies, but it doesn’t lead to a ton of home runs (11 homers), making him an interesting choice for the event.
“I’m just going to see how many I can hit over the left-field fence. Obviously, I don’t have a lot of home runs. In the game, I’m not trying to hit home runs,” he told reporters on Friday. “I’m just trying to hit the ball on the middle of the barrel. Hit it, and whatever happens after that happens. Hopefully, the swing is good enough to hit the ball in the air, get in the gap and do some damage.
ATLANTA (AP) — Mets first baseman Pete Alonso returned to New York for further testing on Thursday after being hit on his left wrist by a pitch and leaving Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves.
Manager Buck Showalter said Alonso had a CT scan in Atlanta Thursday morning. The slugger was scheduled for an MRI later Thursday in New York.
Asked why the additional testing was taking place in New York, Showalter said, “I think we’d rather have our people look at it.”
Alonso, who leads the majors with 22 homers, was hit by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of Atlanta’s 7-5 win on Wednesday night.
The Mets said Wednesday night Alonso had a contusion and X-rays revealed no broken bones. More tests were scheduled even before Showalter said Alonso had more soreness in the wrist on Thursday morning.
“We had plans for him to have the scan this morning anyway, just to be on the safe side,” Showalter said.
Following Wednesday night’s game, Morton apologized to Alonso, one night after Alonso hit a long homer and then was heard yelling to Braves right-hander Bryce Elder, “Throw it again. Throw it again, please. Throw it again.”
“He was looking for me,” said Alonso of Morton’s postgame visit on Wednesday night. “He just wanted to apologize. Obviously he didn’t mean to. For people speculating for this or that, I just wanted to clear that. Chuckie’s a good guy and the situation didn’t call for it either. There’s nothing to it. I just happened to get hit with an up-and-in fastball.”
The Mets entered Thursday night’s game on a five-game skid and played without Alonso for the first time this season.
A serious injury to the slugger would be damaging to the Mets’ hopes of getting back into contention in the NL East. New York entered Thursday’s game in third place, 7 1/2 games behind Atlanta. Showalter said he remained optimistic Alonso can return during a three-game series at Pittsburgh that begins Friday.
Alonso leads the NL with 49 RBIs and is hitting .231.
Rookie Mark Vientos, recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on May 17, made his first start of the season at first base as a fill-in for Alonso, who has made 59 starts at first and three at designated hitter.