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Ryan Helsley, a two-time All-Star, would like to make a suggestion.

For your consideration: Phil Maton, setup man.

“There are not many seasons for guys in relief roles where you have a chance to go to the All-Star Game,” Helsley said this week when offered the chance to stump for his fellow reliever. “So when they’re pitching at that high of a level for as long as he has, he should get rewarded with it. He’s deserving of the chance to go.”

Reserves and relievers as well as starters are elected by a vote of the players, with the commissioner’s office filling in the gaps if necessary to assure all 30 teams have at least one representative in the Midsummer Classic. Cardinals starter Sonny Gray likely boosted his bid to be an All-Star with a shutout in Cleveland on this road trip. Even after allowing four runs in 6 1/3 innings Wednesday to the Pirates, the right-hander has a 3.51 ERA and is tied for the second-most wins in the National League with eight. Gray also ranks in the top 13 in strikeouts (107) and top eight in WHIP (1.08).

An All-Star nod would be Gray’s fourth and first as a Cardinal. He was selected for the American League teams in 2015 and 2023 and went for the NL in 2019.

“He’s done a really nice job,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “Remove a couple of his starts that blew up on him, and the rest of them have been pretty damn good. He deserves it.”

Brendan Donovan also is likely to receive support from his peers at second base as he reached mid-June leading that position in several offensive categories. He and Alec Burleson, who was not on the fan ballot, have led the Cardinals offensively in the first half.

The Cardinals did not have a player emerge from the fan vote as one of the two finalists to start at any of the National League's positions. Former Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, now with the Yankees, was one of the final two at his position, with the winner of the second-stage vote to be announced Thursday night.

The remainder of the rosters will be revealed Sunday evening as well as the candidates for the final vote. Then begins the parade of subs leading into the 95th Midsummer Classic on July 15 at Truist Park.

Maton, who graduated from Glenwood High in Chatham, Illinois, has a compelling case in a season that when several setup relievers have strong claims to being honored.

In 2014, Cardinals setup man Phil Neshek, on his way to a 2.3-WAR season and a 1.87 ERA overall, forced his way into the All-Star Game in his hometown of Minneapolis. There have been other setup relievers who leapfrogged over closers to get into the classic. It takes holds, the setup equivalent of a save. It takes a low ERA. And sometimes it takes a team in need of the mandatory All-Star with a reliever who stands out.

Maton ranks fourth in the NL with 17 holds. His 1.91 ERA is eighth among qualified relievers in the league. He allowed his first earned run since May 4 on Tuesday night — and that scored on a sacrifice fly. There are eight other relievers in the NL with an ERA lower than 2.00 and more than 30 innings, and only one of them, the Mets’ Edwin Diaz, has more than 10 saves. San Francisco’s Randy Rodriguez leads the setup group with a 0.74 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings.

He has 11 holds.

San Diego’s Jason Adams blends low ERA (1.69) with a high total of holds (19), and Milwaukee’s Abner Uribe leads with 23 holds to go with a 2.25 ERA.

“There should be room for a strong (setup) reliever to get in there,” said Helsley, who had only six saves but a 0.88 ERA when elected to his first All-Star Game in 2022. “No moment is too big for (Maton). He’s pitched a lot too. He’s able to get that big out. We’ve seen enough baseball to know something is going to happen and you’re not going to have a clean inning and he has that ability to stay with it and stay locked in. He does that as well as anyone.”

Walker heads to Springfield

After a few rounds of fielding practice with his teammates Wednesday morning at PNC Park, Jordan Walker was scheduled to head to the airport and resume his rehab assignment, this time with Class AA Springfield (Missouri). Walker missed the past week due to appendicitis. The nature of the illness prompted the Cardinals to bring him to Pittsburgh so the team’s medical personnel and athletic trainers could see him in person and check his recovery.

The Cardinals’ preference, Marmol explained, is for Walker to play with the Double-A S-Cards into the holiday weekend and not be activated from the 10-day injured list when eligible Friday at Wrigley Field.

Walker was limited to eight games in June because of a wrist injury and the appendicitis that required an overnight stay in a ӣ����Ƶ hospital. The right fielder went 3 for 18 in the month with six strikeouts and one walk. This season, he’s hitting .210 with a .562 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).

Fedde, etc.

Erick Fedde remains on turn for Sunday night’s game at Wrigley Field on ESPN, Marmol said. The Cardinals, as of Wednesday, did not plan to alter their rotation on the available off-days or to delay Fedde’s next start after back-to-back games of allowing seven runs.

• That puts Miles Mikolas’ next start on Friday for the Fourth of July against the Cubs at Wrigley.
• Marmol turned 39 on Wednesday. The Cardinals lost for the first time on his birthday since he was promoted to manager. He remains the youngest manager in baseball.
• Yet to visit Wrigley, this is the earliest the Cardinals have completed their scheduled trips to Pittsburgh since 1898, according to research by Elias Sports Bureau.