PHOENIX — Baseball could field an all-star team just from the players who will be missing from Tuesday’s game.
Philadelphia third baseman Placido Polanco and Tampa Bay pitcher David Price became the latest stars to withdraw, and six other starting pitchers were declared ineligible because they played Sunday. Polanco missed the Phillies’ final six games heading into the all-star break because of a bad back. Major League Baseball cited turf toe as the reason for Price’s withdrawal.
Added as all-stars on Sunday were the Yankees’ David Robertson, Texas’ Alexi Ogando, Seattle’s Michael Pineda, Toronto’s Ricky Romero, Arizona’s Miguel Montero, Atlanta’s Craig Kimbrel and Pittsburgh’s Kevin Correia. Boston’s Jon Lester had been in line to replace the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez and became an all-star Sunday, but he will miss the game because of a strained back muscle that landed him on the disabled list. Cincinnati’s Scott Rolen will start at third for the NL in place of Polanco. Rolen was added to the roster Saturday when Atlanta’s Chipper Jones withdrew.
Meanwhile, Angels ace Jered Weaver said he has been told by Rangers manager Ron Washington that he will start for the AL.
“Never in my life would I think that I’d even be in an All-Star Game, let alone starting,” Weaver said.
The Associated Press
