Wright gains; most NL positions up for grabs

Can veteran Placido Polanco hang on to start in the All-Star Game at third base, or will a late push drive David Wright into his fifth consecutive Midsummer Classic appearance?

Is it going to be Yadier Molina starting at catcher for the second year running, or can Brian McCann or Ivan Rodriguez climb the ladder?

Will it be Hanley Ramirez starting his third consecutive All-Star Game, or will Jimmy Rollins' return from the disabled list come right in time to take over the top spot?

And what about the battle for fourth place in the outfield that has become so relevant all of a sudden?

All of that is still up in the air.

But on Sunday, we'll have all the answers.

Fan balloting for the 2010 All-Star Game is reaching its crescendo, with online voting ending Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Then, on Sunday, the starting position players for the July 13 All-Star Game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim will be revealed.

Based on Tuesday's results for the National League, there could be some last-minute changes.

For the third week running, the projected starters didn't change for the NL side. But while NL leading vote-getting Albert Pujols sports a comfortable lead, and so does Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, the battles at shortstop, third base, catcher and in the outfield remain interesting.

The closest race is at the hot corner.

Polanco, who hasn't been to an All-Star Game since 2007 and is a full-time third baseman for the first time since 2002, has led the position since voting began. But his margin has been shrinking. Last week, Polanco's lead was about 130,000 votes. Now, with 1,418,096 votes, he leads Wright by 22,635. The Mets slugger has been named on 1,395,461 ballots. Polanco was placed on the 15-day DL by the Phillies on Tuesday.

Polanco ranks second in the National League with a .318 batting average, through Monday's action, while Wright adds the power numbers with 14 homers and a league-leading 61 RBIs to go along with a .303 average.

The Braves' Chipper Jones (1,084,675 votes) and the Reds' Scott Rolen (1,024,079) are also within striking distance.

In the outfield, the Brewers' Ryan Braun (2,262,663 votes), the Braves' Jason Heyward (2,205,534) and the Dodgers' Andre Ethier (2,113,048) continue to lead, in that order, while the Phillies' Jayson Werth is in fourth place with 1,623,802 votes.

Unfortunately for Heyward, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday with a left thumb injury.

If he holds his current position, Heyward will be the second-youngest rookie to be elected to start an All-Star Game. An MRI showed no structural damage in the thumb, and the power-hitting rookie would be eligible to be activated during the All-Star break. While he might not be cleared to play, there's a chance he would still travel to Anaheim to participate in the festivities.

His place in the starting lineup could be influenced by who finishes fourth, a race between Werth, the Cardinals' Matt Holliday (1,540,986) and the Phillies' Shane Victorino (1,517,594).

At shortstop, Ramirez's lead went from roughly 300,000 to 458,000 in a one-week span, as his 1,900,092 votes leads Rollins' 1,442,243. Ramirez hasn't posted his usual gaudy numbers, but they're solid: a .295 batting average, 11 homers and 46 RBIs. Rollins, meanwhile, recently came off the DL and has been limited to 18 games this year because of a troublesome right calf.

Behind the plate, Molina's lead over McCann is fewer than 200,000.

Molina, batting .240, leads with 1,682,998 votes. But McCann, hitting .264 with nine homers, is close with 1,497,097. And Pudge, who would be leading all NL catchers with a .303 batting average if he had enough at-bats to qualify, is within shouting distance with 1,331,145 votes.

Nobody, however, is within shouting, screaming or hollering distance of Pujols and Utley.

Pujols is seeking his ninth trip to the All-Star Game and is primed to get it with a league-leading 3,249,146 votes. The Cardinals slugger is sporting a .305 batting average with 16 homers and 52 RBIs to easily put him ahead of the second-place Ryan Howard (1,371,913 votes) and give him the largest lead in the NL. At second base, Utley -- a four-time All-Star who is batting .277 with 11 homers -- has 2,887,350 votes, which easily puts him ahead of the man who leads the league in batting average, Martin Prado of the Braves.

But, as has been the case all along, everything besides the right side of the infield is close.

Fans can cast their votes for starters up to 25 times at MLB.com and all 30 club sites using the 2010 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot sponsored by Sprint. Sprint subscribers can now vote on the go with select Sprint devices. They can learn more about how to vote on their smart phones at MLB.com/Sprint.

Starting rosters will be announced during the 2010 All-Star Game Selection Show on TBS on Sunday. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the 2010 All-Star Game Final Vote sponsored by Sprint.

And the voting doesn't end there. Fans will have the opportunity to participate in the official voting for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet at the Midsummer Classic via the 2010 All-Star Game MVP Vote sponsored by Sprint.

The All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX and around the world by Major League Baseball International. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio play-by-play, while MLB.com will offer extensive online coverage.