NEW YORK (AP) — St. Louis pitcher Matthew Liberatore, who started twice for the U.S. team that qualified for the Olympics, was among 50 players announced Wednesday for the All-Star Futures Game at Denver’s Coors Field on July 11.
Liberatore, a 21-year-old left-hander, was 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in the Baseball Americas tournament in late May and early June. He is 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA in seven starts this season for Triple-A Memphis.
The U.S. Olympic roster will be announced Friday.
Futures rosters include 21-year-old Detroit first baseman Spencer Torkelson, the top pick in the 2020 amateur draft; 22-year-old Miami right-hander Max Meyer, the No. 3 selection in 2020; 21-year-old Seattle outfielder Jarred Kelenic, the sixth overall pick in 2018; and 21-year-old Pittsburgh right-hander Roansy Contreras.
New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez, who made his professional debut this week for the FCL Yankees, will at 18 be the youngest player in the Future Games since Vladimir Guererro Jr. in 2017 and the first who had not yet risen to a full-season league.
Former Colorado Rockies third baseman Vinny Castilla will manage the NL team and reliever LaTroy Hawkins will manage the AL team.
Launched in 1999, the Futures Game was contested by U.S. and World teams through 2018, then switched to the AL/NL format in 2019. It was not played in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Futures Game will be followed at Coors Field by the Home Run Derby on July 12 and the All-Star Game on July 13. All three events were moved to Denver from Atlanta by Major League Baseball in response to election law changes enacted by Georgia. Critics have condemned the changes as being too restrictive.
