Matt Turner hits four home runs with the Cardinals, USMNT jokes he was snubbed for MLB All-Star game

Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner impressed in the batting cages with the St. Louis Cardinals, so much so that the US national team joked he deserved a spot on the MLB All-Star team. 

The USA took to the field Wednesday night at CITYPARK in St. Louis where it routed Saint Kitts and Nevis 6-0 in the Concacaf Gold Cup. 

Ahead of the thrashing, American shotstopper Turner swapped the net for the cage as he took batting practice with the St. Louis Cardinals at their ballpark, Busch Stadium, ahead of their game against the Houston Astros Wednesday night. 

Turner had a tough act to follow after Cardinals star Nolan Arenado took his cuts but the 29-year-old didn’t disappoint with a bat in his hands. 

Turner got hold of a few pitches and crushed not one, but four home runs over the wall, leaving the St. Louis star third baseman impressed. 

Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner impressed in the batting cages with the St. Louis Cardinals

Turner had a tough act to follow after Cardinals star Nolan Arenado (pictured) took his cuts

Turner first sent two back-to-back pitches over the right-field wall and later connected on a no-doubt home run that had Arenado nodding in approval.

Two days later, the MLB released the starting lineups for the All-Star game, which features the best players of the National League facing off against the best the American League has to offer. 

The lineups are decided by two rounds of voting – the first to narrow down the group of finalists and the second to set the starters. 

The Cardinals play in the National League and to no surprise Arenado made the cut – but Turner didn’t join him, which prompted the USMNT to joke the soccer star had been snubbed. 

Replying to MLB’s tweet announcing the National League lineup, the USA wrote: ‘Wow, @MLB. Matt Turner snubbed smh [shaking my head].’

The USMNT took to Twitter to joke its shotstopper was snubbed for the MLB All-Star game

The 29-year-old was in St. Louis ahead of the USA’s game against Saint Kitts and Nevis

This year’s Midsummer Classic will be held at T-Mobile Park in Seattle – the third time the city has hosted the exhibition game – on July 11. 

And, while Turner won’t be taking to the plate in the Emerald City, he will be gearing up for another type of All-Star game. 

Turner will be linking up with the Gunners as they head Stateside, kicking off their preseason US tour with a matchup against the MLS All-Stars on July 19. 

Mikel Arteta’s side will then face Manchester United at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey before wrapping up its stint across the Atlantic on the West Coast with a clash against Barcelona at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.