​CHICAGO (AP) — A day after becoming the seventh White Sox player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, Tristan Peters was elevated to the American League All-Star team as a replacement for the injured Nick Kurtz of the Athletics. Kurtz, who was slated to start at first base for the AL in next week’s All-Star Game, landed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right thumb sprain, with the move retroactive to Friday. He did not participate in Oakland’s 14-1 loss to Chicago on Friday.
Peters now shares an All-Star roster with two fellow White Sox stars, Miguel Vargas and Munetaka Murakami. Murakami, a young, powerful slugger from Japan, was added to the team on Friday, just hours before he returned to action against the Athletics after missing six weeks with a right hamstring strain. Peters, still a rookie at 26, has made a strong impression in his first full major league season, batting .303 with six homers and 35 RBIs. He has racked up 20 doubles and three triples, with the most recent triple coming in the seventh inning of Chicago’s rout of Oakland on Friday, a game that also marked Peters as the first White Sox player to hit for the cycle since Jose Abreu accomplished the feat in September 2017.
The White Sox acquired Peters from Tampa Bay last December, purchasing his rights. He appeared in only four games with the Rays last season, going hitless in 12 plate appearances. The transition from a part-time role to a prominent place in Chicago’s lineup has worked out remarkably well for the former Savannah Banana. “The White Sox gave me this opportunity, and I approached it by trying to make the most of it and stay true to who I am as a player,” Peters said. “I know there was a lot of bunting early and I was trying to figure out who I am at the big-league level, and they’ve given me space to do that. It’s been an incredibly supportive group, and that support has helped me thrive.”
A native of Winkler, Manitoba, Peters became the second Canadian to hit for the cycle. He joins Cleveland right-hander Cade Smith and Miami infielder Otto Lopez—who holds dual Canadian-Dominican citizenship—as Canadians on the 2026 All-Star roster.
Peters never imagined reaching All-Star status at the start of the season, but as the summer progressed, the possibility began to seem more real. “I guess toward the end of this first half, I started to think, ‘OK, maybe there’s a chance,’ but there are a lot of really, really talented players in this league,” he said.
Kurtz, meanwhile, continues to deliver at the plate for Oakland, posting a .266 batting average with 20 home runs, 66 RBIs and an AL-leading 76 walks. The 23-year-old was the AL Rookie of the Year last season, when he hit .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBIs. He has now been placed on the injured list for the second time in his career after previously missing time in May 2025 with a strained left hip flexor.