Harper, Rendon have ground to make up in NL All-Star balloting

The first update on the National League All-Star voting was released on Wednesday, and two Nationals are in the running for starting gigs on July 15. As voted by fans, Nats second baseman Anthony Rendon and Nats outfielder Bryce Harper are both in the mix on the first ballot, but they have some ground to make up before being pinned as NL starters. Rendon sits in fourth place among NL second basemen with 183,600 votes. He trails the Phillies' Chase Utley (509,390 votes), the Dodgers' Dee Gordon (304,258) and the Reds' Brandon Phillips (187,067). In 2014, Rendon is hitting .254/.315/.426 in 50 games, and is second on the team in hits (50) and RBIs (26). Harper, who was placed on the disabled list on April 27 due to a torn ligament in his left thumb, is in 12th place in the NL voting with 211,565 votes. The star outfielder has played in just 22 games this season, and was hitting .289/.352/.422 before his injury. The Las Vegas native also has a chance to appear in the 2014 Home Run Derby, as he is one of 10 candidates eligible to be selected by fans. Harper made it to the final round last year, but lost to the A's Yoenis Cespedes. Fans have an opportunity to select three players from each league that they would most like to see compete in the Home Run Derby, and the poll is available at MLB.com. Voters will also have the opportunity to elect their favorite starting players up to 25 times at MLB.com until Thursday, July 3 at 11:59 p.m. The 2014 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show will be held during the weekend of July 5-6, and the game will be played on July 15 at Target Field. So get voting, Washington fans, so the Nats can show their skills among the league's top players.