CINCINNATI (AP) 鈥� Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler described his in a victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night a 鈥渞eminder for whoever needs to be reminded鈥� that Major League Baseball erred in leaving him off of National League roster for next week’s All-Star game.
“It pisses me off and it鈥檚 kind of BS,鈥� Wheeler (9-1) said in postgame comments broadcast by NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The 36-year-old Wheeler’s career high-tying strikeout performance in a 4-1 victory came mere hours after Major League Baseball announced that three other National League pitchers 鈥� Riley O鈥橞rien of St. Louis, Philadelphia鈥檚 Jes煤s Luzardo and Pittsburgh鈥檚 Braxton Ashcraft 鈥� had been .
The three late additions to the July 14 All-Star game 鈥� being held this season in Philadelphia 鈥� replaced Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and Miami’s Max Meyer, who are all scheduled to pitch for their teams this weekend.
Wheeler, too, is scheduled to pitch this weekend against Detroit, and was given the impression that is the reason he wasn’t selected as a replacement.
鈥淛ust because I pitch on a certain day, I get 鈥� you know 鈥� I don鈥檛 even know the right word,鈥� Wheeler said. 鈥淏ecause I pitch on a certain day, I can鈥檛 pitch in the All-Star game or even be there or get the recognition.鈥�
Wheeler said that if a deserving pitcher wants to participate in the All-Star game, they should at least have the opportunity to be named to the roster, regardless of when they’re scheduled to pitch for their own team.
鈥淢aybe if I wasn鈥檛 necessarily right in there I wouldn鈥檛 be saying this, but I feel like I鈥檝e earned it,鈥� Wheeler said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 certain ways to do it and you figure they would have a clue about it by now 鈥� how many All-Star games they鈥檝e had.”
Wheeler said he even would have been willing to pitch an inning in the All-Star game on two days’ rest, when he’d normally be throwing anyway in a bullpen session.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a BS rule that just because I pitch on a certain day I get punished,鈥� Wheeler continued. 鈥滻鈥檒l be fine throwing an inning. But it鈥檚 not even an option, I guess.鈥�
Kyle Schwarber, who helped power the Phillies’ offense with his major league-best 31st home run of the season, said he understood Wheeler’s frustration.
鈥淲hen someone deserves it, you want them to get that acknowledgment,鈥� said Schwarber, a four-time All-Star who was selected to this season’s National League roster as a designated hitter.
鈥淲e鈥檙e only in this game for so long,” Schwarber said. “You want to be able to look back and feel like you have some things that put some feathers in the cap.鈥�
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