Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg and Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene have been named 2024 MLB All-Stars, replacing the injured Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox and Tyler Glasnow of the Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively.
Devers won’t play in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game as he deals with a lingering shoulder injury, Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced Tuesday, while Glasnow is being placed on the injured list with lower back tightness.
Westburg has taken a major step forward in his sophomore season. He is hitting .281 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI, far eclipsing the stats from the 68 games he played last season. In his third MLB season, Green has already matched his previous high for wins in a year with a 5-4 record and a 3.45 ERA. His 116 strikeouts are seventh-most in the National League.
Rafael Devers injury
Devers is in the lineup for Boston’s series opener against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, but it’s unknown if he’ll play all the way up until the All-Star break after the team decided it would be best for Devers to skip the exhibition game in Texas.
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‘He’s been grinding through a few things, especially his left shoulder,’ Cora said. ‘As a group, we believe this is a good time for him to get some rest and take care of it.’
This year was the third time Devers was named an All-Star. He’s having a stellar season, hitting .293 with 21 home runs and 55 RBI, all team-highs. His .593 slugging percentage and .971 OPS are also career-highs for the eight-year veteran.
The Red Sox have suddenly found themselves in the playoff race. After a 35-35 start to the season, Boston has gone 14-5 and sits in the final wild-card spot and is only 4½ games behind the New York Yankees for second place in the crowded AL East. By giving Devers time to rest, Cora believes it’ll set the Red Sox up for success in the second half of the season.
‘There is more here and we’re shooing for something bigger than the All-Star Game,’ Cora said. ‘For him to be healthy, it’s the most important thing.’
Tyler Glasnow injury
Glasnow’s back flared up on Sunday while he was playing catch, manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday ahead of the series opener against the NL-leading Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers ace has been off to a stellar start in Los Angeles with an 8-5 record and a 3.47 ERA. His 143 strikeouts are most in the NL and second-most in MLB behind the Chicago White Sox’s Garrett Crochet.
However, the past two starts for Glasnow haven’t been ideal. In his past two outings against the San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers, he’s pitched nine innings and given up a total of 10 earned runs on 10 hits.
Roberts said the team is hopeful Glasnow can return from the injury not long after the All-Star break.