Zack Wheeler wasn’t happy about missing the initial cut for MLB’s All-Star rosters. When MLB came calling late to add him as a replacement player, he wasn’t interested.
The Philadelphia Phillies pitcher declined a late invitation to join the NL roster and told reporters Saturday that he was “disrespected” by the initial snub.
“They disrespected me, so I’m not going to participate,” Wheeler said, per the Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes.
Foster Griffin of the Washington Nationals and Justin Wrobleski of the Los Angeles Dodgers were instead named by MLB as replacement pitchers on the National League roster.
Wheeler certainly had a strong case to make the NL roster the first time around. In 14 starts this season, Wheeler has a 2.28 ERA and 0.908 WHIP with 98 strikeouts and 20 walks in 87 innings pitched. He has a 9-1 record as a starter. The ERA and WHIP would stand as career lows over the course of a full season for the three-time All-Star.
Wheeler’s done all this after recovering from thoracic outlet decompression surgery that required the removal of a rib and cut short his bid for the NL CY Young award last season. He’s returned this season as strong as ever at 36 years and was not happy when he learned that he missed the cut for the initial NL All-Star roster.
“It pisses me off,” Wheeler said Tuesday after striking out 14 Reds batters in a 4-1 Phillies win. “It’s kind of B.S. Maybe if I wasn’t necessarily right in [the All-Star mix], I wouldn’t be saying this. But I feel like I’ve earned it.”
Making matters worse for Wheeler, Tuesday’s All-Star Game will be played in his home stadium, Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. His teammate, Cristopher Sánchez, will start for the NL in front of the home fans. But Wheeler won’t pitch at all.
“I don’t need a pity party,” Wheeler said. “I don’t need somebody saying, ‘He’s had major surgery. Look at him now.’ I don’t need that.
“It was my plan to come back as who I was or even better.”
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