DETROIT >> The Detroit Tigers will be sending a sixth team representative to the MLB All-Star Game next week in Atlanta.

Tigers bat boy Frankie Boyd, a student at Eastern Michigan, won an online voting contest at MLB.com to earn the honor for the American League, it was announced Wednesday.

“We wanted Frankie badly to get there, one, for his own well-being. In our room, when you are up for something and you miss out, the boys will let you know,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said, laughing, before Wednesday’s game against Tampa Bay at Comerica Park.

“But I think it’s good for him and it’s good for us. It’s fun. (The players) gave him a big ovation inside and tried to embarrass him as much as we could. I don’t know that he knows how to handle it, but the boys will have a fun time having him around in Atlanta.”

The All-Star Game is Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Tigers players headed to the game are second baseman Gleyber Torres, outfielders Riley Greene and Javy Baez, pitcher Tarik Skubal and utility man Zach McKinstry.

“He’s been here the entire time I’ve been here in various roles,” said Hinch, whose first season as Tigers manager was 2021. “We’ve watched him grow up. We love having him come to the ballpark every day. He’s a part of the fabric of our day-to-day.”

The National League bat boy will be Adam Crognale of the Philadelphia Phillies.

— The Detroit News