Phillies’ Zack Wheeler declines All-Star Game invite: ‘They disrespected me’
DETROIT, Mich. — Three days after Zack Wheeler struck out 14 hitters and called his All-Star snub “BS,” MLB offered him a replacement spot on the National League All-Star Roster.
He declined.
“They disrespected me, so I’m not going to participate,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler, 36, holds a 2.28 ERA through 14 starts (87 innings) this season. He will pitch the Sunday before the All-Star Game — a group of pitchers the league has tried to stay away from when selecting replacements. But Wheeler said Tuesday he would be willing to pitch in the game even with his start on Sunday.
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He did not pitch in the majors until late April because he underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery last September, which required rehabbing and a slower start to the spring.
Wheeler has repeatedly said he wanted to come back as the same pitcher. The rehab and recovery process, Wheeler said, did not need to be factored into whether he should’ve been an All-Star.
“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.”
This marks the second year in a row the Phillies clubhouse has been displeased at a starting pitcher not being selected for the All-Star Game. Cristopher Sánchez was not chosen last season — partly because he pitched on the Sunday before the game, just as Wheeler will.
“There’s been plenty of ways to go about it,” Wheeler said. “I feel if somebody deserves it, then they deserve it. Guys do take a lot of pride in having that All-Star nod next to your name during your career and after your career. People who vote on stuff after your career might look at that, too.”
Wheeler said he doesn’t want to sound like he is “hating on the whole thing,” and that it’s a privilege and that fans will have fun at the event. But he has taken issue with the selection process, saying he did not want to be the league’s fifth choice. Had he been approached earlier in the week, his answer may have been different.
Now, Wheeler will head to the beach with his family for the All-Star Break instead of appearing before an electric crowd at Citizens Bank Park.