 Thornton was selected by the coaches' vote to the American League All-Star team in 2010, the first All-Star selection of his career.In 2010, he made 61 appearances going 5–4 with a 2.67 ERA and 8 saves.Appearing in 62 games in 2011, Thornton went 2–5 with a 3.32 ERA and 3 saves.