Bryan Reynolds to start in All-Star Game in place of Ronald Acuña Jr.

Well, this should be fun.

During the MLB All-Star Game press conference today, NL Manager Dave Roberts announced that Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds will start in place of injured Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. at the All-Star Game tomorrow.

The news comes following Acuña’s torn ACL, which he suffered over the weekend. The injury will keep him out for the rest of the 2021 season and possibly the beginning of 2022.

Reynolds will play center field and bat eighth while sandwiched in between two Cincinnati Reds outfielders, Jesse Winker in left and Nick Castellanos in right.

While most casual fans may not know who Reynolds is now, it should come to no surprise for Pirates fans that Reynolds is deserving of this spot.

Reynolds is experiencing the best season of his career and his .302 batting average ranks fifth in the National League.

Reynolds joins teammate Adam Frazier in the starting lineup, and the two will round up the NL batting order.

It’s been 29 years since the Pirates fielded a pair of starters in the midsummer’s classic. Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke both started in the outfield for the NL All-Stars in 1992, the last year Pittsburgh won its division and advanced to the NLCS.

I’m not saying that this is foreshadowing what’s to come this season but it’s nice to see that the Pirates are strongly represented on a national stage.