Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has declined an invitation to join the National League All-Star roster as a replacement player.
The offer from Major League Baseball came three days after Wheeler struck out 14 batters and called his omission from the original roster “BS.”
Wheeler said he chose not to participate because he felt disrespected by the selection process.
“They disrespected me, so I’m not going to participate,” Wheeler told The Athletic.
The 36-year-old right-hander has posted a 2.28 ERA across 14 starts and 87 innings this season.
Although he is scheduled to pitch on the Sunday before the All-Star Game, a factor that usually causes the league to avoid selecting those starting pitchers as replacements, Wheeler noted he would be willing to pitch in the All-Star Game anyway.
After Wheeler declined the initial round of weekend replacements, MLB named Foster Griffin and Justin Wrobleski to the roster on Saturday.
Zack Wheeler has pitched at an All-Star level since returning from an injury that delayed his start to the season. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Wheeler’s season began in April following his recovery from thoracic outlet decompression surgery last September, which required the removal of his right rib.
Wheeler dismissed the idea that his recovery should impact his evaluation. “I don’t need a pity party,” Wheeler told The Athletic. “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.”
Wheeler clarified that he does not want to sound like he is “hating on the whole thing,” noting that participating in the game remains a privilege.
However, he remains frustrated by how late the invitation arrived and noted he did not want to be the league’s fifth choice. He added that he has declined previously due to injury or precaution, but this time it stemmed from “pure disrespect.”
“I just don’t want to be disrespected as a person,” Wheeler told The Athletic, “I take it very seriously. It’s just me as a person, too. I felt like I said before — maybe I didn’t earn it from the get-go, but maybe second choice. Once I feel like they kind of messed that up, I’m out.”
Wheeler added he will spend the All-Star break on vacation with his family at the beach.
