Hiroki Kuroda, who returned to Hiroshima this year after seven impressive big league seasons, was voted onto the Central League All-Star team though the fans ballot, Nippon Professional Baseball announced Friday.

The 40-year-old Carp veteran is 6-2 this season with a 2.72 ERA. He drew 231,380 votes, with Yomiuri Giants rookie Hayato Takagi second in the voting with 177,443.

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters ace and designated hitter Shohei Otani was the fan favorite among Pacific League starting pitchers. The 20-year-old Otani, who is 9-1 with a 1.47 ERA, leads both leagues in wins and has an NPB-high 99 strikeouts. He received 381,834 votes in the fan ballot.

“You’ve got to be kidding. It never occurred to me I’d be an all star at the age of 40,” said Kuroda, who last took part in NPB’s summer series in 2007. “It feels incredibly odd. Because I last took part so long ago, I think I will be able to go into it with a fresh outlook.”

Otani was voted onto the PL squad as an outfielder as a rookie in 2013. He becomes the first player to be voted to play in the series as both a pitcher and a position player since Junzo Sekine was selected as a pitcher in 1953 and an outfielder in 1963.

Seibu Lions teenager Tomoya Mori drew 536,267 as the PL’s designated hitter, more votes than any other player at any position in either league. He was voted onto the PL squad alongside sluggers Takeya Nakamaura (third base) of Seibu and Sho Nakata (first base) of Nippon Ham, who like Mori graduated from Osaka Toin High School.

“I don’t want to be outplayed by either Nakamura-san or Nakata-san,” Mori said.

The Carp, who will host this season’s second All-Star clash at Mazda Stadium, led all teams with five players voted in by fans. Kuroda will be joined on the CL squad by catcher Tsubasa Aizawa, first baseman Takahiro Arai, second baseman Ryosuke Kikuchi and outfielder Yoshihiro Maru.

“Going along with my teammates is going to make it really easy,” said Maru, who was voted in by fans for the third time.