KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Junior Caminero is bringing his sweet swing back to the All-Star Home Run Derby.
The Tampa Bay Rays slugger committed Tuesday to participating in the event in Philadelphia on July 13.
Caminero put on a show last year with his multicolored bat, advancing to the final round before losing to Seattle slugger Cal Raleigh 18-15 in a long-ball hitting showcase that boosted ratings on ESPN.
The 22-year-old third baseman from the Dominican Republic went on to hit 45 home runs last season, finishing sixth in Major League Baseball behind Raleigh’s 60 homers. He had 22 home runs this year, entering a game Tuesday night at Kansas City.
In an era with faster-paced games, MLB is eliminating the clock from its Home Run Derby this summer. Each hitter will have 20 swings in the first round of this year’s contest. The change coincides with a switch in broadcaster to Netflix from ESPN, which had televised the event since 1994.
A player who homers on swing 20 will keep on swinging until he doesn’t connect for a long ball. The top four hitters advance, with distance of the longest homer used a tiebreaker.
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout recently said it is unlikely he will participate in the event.
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