HOUSTON — Junior Caminero has already done some things no Tampa Bay Rays players had ever accomplished, such as extending his sizzling power show on Friday to include hitting 10 home runs over a 10-game span.

He got official word on Saturday, the day he played in his 290th major-league game and the eve of his 23rd birthday, that he would add another notable franchise first: starting in multiple All-Star Games, having won the fan-elected role at third base.

Even better, Caminero will be taking some friends from the American League’s top team with him as DH Yandy Diaz, starter Drew Rasmussen and reliever Bryan Baker also were named to the American League team for the July 14 game in Philadelphia.

Caminero was elected via fan balloting, Diaz and Rasmussen were voted in by league players, and Baker was added by MLB officials, who fill out the 32-man rosters.

“We’re incredibly excited,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, “and think that all four are very, very deserving.”

News of other Rays joining them as replacements for players who are injured or ask out of active All-Star duty could come in the next few days, with starter Nick Martinez most likely and first baseman Jonathan Aranda and reliever Kevin Kelly among other worthy options.

The Rays also had four All-Stars last year: Caminero, Rasmussen, Aranda and since-traded second baseman Brandon Lowe, who was injured and couldn’t play.

Caminero finished second in the first phase of voting to Jays rookie Kazuma Okamoto who, like many Toronto players, enjoyed widespread support from throughout Canada, but Caminero won the phase-two runoff election.

“I feel really, really good because when you put in 100% of your ability on the field and the fans vote for you, it’s amazing,” Caminero said. “Thank you for supporting me all year. I’m pretty excited.”

That was a simpler path than last year, when he didn’t make the initial team but in a short span of days was added to the roster as a replacement for the injured Alex Bregman, then slid into the lineup when Jose Ramirez withdrew.

Caminero will be the first Ray to start multiple games. Evan Longoria was voted to start in 2009 but couldn’t play in the game due to finger infection, then won the election again in 2010 and made the start.

Caminero also will be the 14th player to start back-to-back All-Star games in his age 22 (or younger) season, and the first to do so at third base.

Caminero, who last week supplanted Ken Griffey Jr. as the youngest of 33 big-leaguers to homer in six consecutive games, certainly has a strong case, which he furthered by homering in his first at-bat on Saturday night.

Going into the game, he ranked second in the league with 25 homers, third with a .933 OPS and ninth with 55 RBIs, and he just won the AL June Player of the Month award. Among a series of assorted compiled stats, he is the only big-leaguer ever to hit at least .375 with 10 or more homers and 20 or more RBIs over a 10-game span with his team winning at least nine of the games.

“Last year, Junior, he didn’t come out of nowhere, but he came on really strong and introduced himself to the baseball world, and he’s just backed it up even then some now,” Cash said.

Caminero is the eighth Rays player to be elected as an All-Star starter, joining Jose Canseco (1999), Longoria (2009, 2010), Carl Crawford (2010), Corey Dickerson (2017), Wilson Ramos (2018), Randy Arozarena and Diaz (2023).

He will have a busy week, as he also committed to the July 13 All-Star Home Run Derby, seeking to win the title after finishing as the runner-up last year.

“I would imagine Junior is going to enjoy himself. I hope they all really enjoy themselves,” Cash said. “What Junior’s doing, he’s going to be a part of two pretty spectacular events, and we know that he’s motivated to continue putting on a show like he’s done for the last month.”

Rasmussen, who started for the Rays on Saturday against the Astros, will join Caminero for their second straight All-Star experience.

The 30-year-old right-hander just completed a tremendous June, having won the league’s top pitcher honors after posting a 0.82 ERA, .142 opponents average and a 0.61 WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) while going 3-2 record in five starts.

Overall, he went into his Saturday start 7-4 with a league-best 0.87 WHIP and a 2.45 ERA that is second best.

“He’s a stud,” Cash said. “The work that he puts in, what he does every fifth day for us, yeah, consistency, but it’s really, really quality consistency. It’s not just consistency.”

Asked Friday about the possibility of being named to the team, Rasmussen said, “Oh yeah, it’s a really cool honor. But it is only the halfway point. You wouldn’t celebrate winning a marathon at Mile 13, and so it’s just one of those things that, similar to being named pitcher of the month, it’s a really cool acknowledgement of what you’ve accomplished to this point, but it’s definitely not the finish line.”

Diaz’s 2023 election was part of a big year. He jetted to Seattle for the game, then right back to Tampa for the birth of his son. He later won the first batting title in franchise history.

Diaz is positioned thus far to do so again, going into play Saturday leading the league with a .325 average and ranking sixth with a .903 OPS. Diaz has been dealing with a left shoulder strain he sustained June 28.

“In Yandy, I think we’re getting to watch one of the best pure hitters in our game for the last six, seven, eight years,” Cash said. “And for the league and players to recognize that, that might be the best honor of all.”

Diaz acknowledged the honor.

“Really grateful and really happy,” he said via team interpreter Kevin Vera. “Happy is the biggest feeling that I’m being able to be an All-Star.”

Baker’s selection is the product of his remarkably consistent performance in his first extended opportunity closing games in the majors, converting 23 saves in his first 26 chances while posting a .143 opponents average and 0.82 WHIP.

“He pitched like an All-Star all season long,” Cash said.

The Rays had an opening after letting Pete Fairbanks leave as a free agent, figured they had multiple pitchers to handle the highest-leverage duty. But they lost Edwin Uceta to injury and got inconsistent early-season work from Garrett Cleavinger (who then went on the injured list) and Griffin Jax (who in late April converted from reliever to starter).

“I think he’s been as dominant as any reliever in baseball with an incredibly selfless approach,” Cash said. “Obviously he’s going to get his saves and pitch in the ninth and finish games for us, but when he’s been asked to come in in the eighth inning, depending on the match up or how the lineup’s unfolding, he’s done that and just been incredibly dominant.”

Baker, 31, said he was obviously excited when Cash shared the news with the team in a meeting before Saturday’s game.

“Just shock, really, first and then a lot of gratitude after that,” he said. “It’s a pretty cool feeling overall. Definitely not something that I expected coming into the year, or anything like that. So it’s a pleasant surprise for sure.”

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