As the Philadelphia Phillies get set for their final series of the first half against the Detroit Tigers, one of their All-Stars might be seeing his role increased for the Mid-Summer Classic. With the end of the first half of the season right around the corner for the Phillies, the team has to be pleased with what they have been able to accomplish. Philadelphia was once a team that was 10 games under the .500 mark, and now they are not only over .500, but right in the mix for a wild-card spot. Overall, the turnaround has been sparked by the Phillies having quite a bit of star power. Even though Zack Wheeler is still shockingly not on the team, Philadelphia is well-represented in the game and also has Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in the Home Run Derby. With the game getting close, it does appear like, in addition to being in the Home Run Derby, Schwarber might also be the new starting designated hitter for the team. The Los Angeles Dodgers recently announced that Shohei Ohtani would not be traveling to the game, leaving the door open for the star slugger of the Phillies to start. Schwarber Should Start With Ohtani OutShohei Ohtani will not make his scheduled start on the mound this evening against the D-backs due to continued irritation in his left knee. He will serve as the designated hitter the rest of the weekend, but following the series against the D-backs he will have some interventions…— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 10, 2026It is a major blow for the game that the biggest star in baseball won’t be able to play. Of course, the health of Ohtani is paramount for the Dodgers on their quest to be going for a three-peat. The reigning NL MVP was understandably going to be the starting designated hitter in the game, but now it would figure to be Schwarber getting the starting spot. While being the backup to Ohtani was to be expected, the campaign that the star slugger from the Phillies is having makes him very deserving of being the starting DH for the NL. So far this season, he has slashed .254/.369/.571 with 32 home runs and 58 RBI. Schwarber is currently leading the majors in home runs, but also holds that honor for strikeouts as well. Despite striking out 140 times so far this campaign, he has seen his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage all go up from last year. Considering he was the runner-up to Ohtani for the NL MVP, that is very impressive. With the amazing season that he is having and Ohtani being banged up a little bit, it could make the NL MVP race a bit more interesting, especially if the star of the Dodgers has to miss time. While baseball fans will certainly miss having Ohtani in the game, Schwarber being the starter for the NL at designated hitter is a strong replacement. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow