Astros media relations

HOUSTON — Major League Baseball announced today that Astros right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton has been added to the American League All-Star roster.

This marks the first-career All-Star selection for Morton, who is in his 11th Major League season and second with the Astros. Morton is in the midst of a career year, as he has gone 11-2 with a 2.96 ERA (37 earned runs in 112 1/3 innings pitched) and 146 strikeouts in 19 starts. Among all AL pitchers this season, the right-hander ranks second in winning percentage (.846), third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.7), tied for fourth in wins, sixth in strikeouts and ninth in ERA.

Morton will join second baseman Jose Altuve, third baseman Alex Bregman, right-hand pitcher Gerrit Cole, outfielder George Springer and right-hander Justin Verlander. The Astros are the only team in the majors with six All-Stars this season, and it marks the second time in franchise history that the Astros have had six All-Stars on one squad, as they also had that many last season.

Joining the six players will be the entire Astros coaching staff, led by Astros Manager A.J. Hinch, who will become the second skipper in franchise history to manage an All-Star Game, joining Phil Garner (2006 National League). Hinch and his staff will also be joined by Rich Dauer, who served as the Astros first base coach from 2015-17 before retiring.

Morton joins Bregman as the sole first-time All-Stars for the Astros this year.

The 89th MLB All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.