CLEVELAND _ Indians ace Corey Kluber will not be pitch in the All-Star Game.
Kluber, who earned his second All-Star selection on a vote from the commissioner's office last week, is scheduled to pitch Sunday's game against the Detroit Tigers. The 2017 All-Star Game in Miami is two days later. That leaves a very short turnaround for a pitcher after making a start, particularly one who only about six weeks ago returned from a back injury.
The decision for pitchers who throw on Sunday to still pitch in the All-Star Game is up to the player and team. In this case, it was an easy decision with Kluber's health in mind. He and the club "were all on the same page," Kluber said.
"There's a couple things that go into it," Kluber said. "Number one, trying to be smart, just because of the fact that I missed so much time. Trying to be cognizant of that and also probably not ideal to pitch Sunday night and then all of a sudden try to turn around with a day of rest and try to get out the best hitters in the National League, even though the game doesn't count, so to speak."
Considering Kluber's recent stint on the disabled list, as well as his dominating stretch since June 1, the Indians haven't yet determined the starting rotation after the All-Star break. With Kluber getting four days of rest, it's possible Kluber could pitch in the first game after the break Friday in Oakland. But the club is waiting to see how he feels following Sunday night.
Another factor could be that if the Indians push Kluber back a day, he wouldn't have to bat when the Indians travel to San Francisco to play the Giants with National League rules after the three-game series in Oakland.
"The good thing is we have (Carlos) Carrasco, (Trevor) Bauer and Kluber," Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway said. "I'm sure those three guys will pitch the first three games, we're just not sure of the order yet. We'll see how Kluber feels and if he feels like he needs an extra day, because we've been riding him hard since he came back."
