Zack Wheeler’s Philadelphia Phillies teammates have backed their man amid the ongoing All-Star selection controversy.
The Phillies pitcher turned down MLB’s late offer for him to serve as an injury replacement in Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa. Wheeler stated that he felt disrespected by the league, which treated him like “a fifth option” despite posting All-Star-worthy numbers at the midway point of the season. Wheeler called his late invite a “pity party” that he was not willing to attend.
Phillies ace Christopher Sanchez, one of two Philadelphia pitchers named an All-Star this season, sympathized with his comrade.
“He’s an All-Star in my heart,” Sanchez said through his interpreter, via The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes. “The same thing happened to me last year. Same situation. I think they’ve got to fix that.”
Three-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto also stood by Wheeler and called it a “mistake” that MLB left the 36-year-old right-hander out of the Midsummer Classic.
“Everybody in this clubhouse was surprised,” Realmuto said. “To see what he’s done in his career and then to have the type of surgery he had and still be the same dominant guy as soon as he returned and had a great first half … I thought it was definitely a mistake.”
While Sanchez and standout closer Jhoan Duran have made most of this season’s pitching headlines, Wheeler has arguably been the Phillies’ best pitcher when healthy.
Wheeler leads all qualified Phillies starters with a 2.28 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across 14 starts this season, with Philadelphia going 12-2 in those contests.
Instead of participating in his 4th All-Star game in front of his home fans, Wheeler is reportedly spending the break at the beach with his family.
