Shohei Ohtani's ramp up toward becoming a full-fledged starting pitcher will continue Saturday when the right-hander takes the mound against the visiting Houston Astros on his 31st birthday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will have three fan-elected starters in the All-Star Game for the first time since 1980. Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Shohei Ohtani were announced as starters.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani launched his 30th home run of the season on Tuesday night as part of a win against the Chicago White Sox (box score). In the process, Ohtani became the third player to clear the 30-homer mark this season (joining Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge) and tied a Dodgers franchise record by becoming the second player to tally 30 home runs before the All-Star break.