Expos’ Rodriguez Is an All-Star After All

NEW YORK — Montreal Expos outfielder Henry Rodriguez was picked Wednesday to replace the injured Tony Gwynn on the National League All-Star team.

Rodriguez was hitting .292 with 25 homers and 69 RBIs before Wednesday night’s game against Atlanta. He was tied for second in homers and tied for fourth in RBIs.

“Being an All-Star is always great,” Rodriguez said. “You don’t know if you’ll ever be an All-Star even once. It’s something you’ll never forget.”

Rodriguez becomes the third Montreal All-Star, joining pitcher Pedro Martinez and infielder Mark Grudzielanek.

Rodriguez was chosen over Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa, whose 26 homers lead the league.

“It was an easy choice,” said Braves manager Bobby Cox. “He (Rodriguez) was next in line. He’s outhitting him (Sosa) by about 40 points.”

Gwynn, who has not played since Monday, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a minor tear of the right Achilles tendon and some fraying of the tendon.

“Here I am hoping for three weeks in a cast and one week in rehabilitation,” Gwynn said before the San Diego Padres played Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

“I don’t know. I’ll say my prayers and hope for the best,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s frayed or torn. If it’s torn, I might not get back this year.”

The six-time NL batting champion is hitting .338. He had 20 hits in last 47 at-bats before being sidelined.

“I was just starting to get my swing back,” Gwynn said. “That’s the most frustrating part. I was starting to swing well and now I’m down for a month. The bright side is I could’ve torn it. I guess I should be happy, but I’m not.”

The Padres purchased the contract of outfielder Rob Deer from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Gwynn.

Deer, an eight-year major league veteran, was batting .225 with 19 homers and 43 RBIs for Las Vegas. He was among the last cuts in spring training.