Mariners OF Julio Rodríguez pulls out of All-Star game, citing rest and preparation for rest of season

Yahoo

4 days ago

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez is pulling out of the All-Star game, announcing the news on social media on Friday. In the post, Rodríguez cited rest and plans to prepare for the rest of the season — and effectively ended the discourse about whether he deserved to be an All-Star.
"I'm really honored that my peers voted me into the All-Star Game — that means a lot to me," Rodríguez wrote. "As much as I'd love to be out there, I want to take this time to take care of my body and fully prepare for the second half of the season.
"It's definitely tough to miss out on the All-Star experience, but I'll be cheering on all the guys and wishing them and their families an amazing week."
MLB has not yet announced who will replace Rodríguez as an AL reserve outfielder, but that decision is likely to be announced soon.
In the days since the MLB All-Star roster was released, Rodríguez's name has popped up as one of the most controversial selections. As the center fielder struggles with a slightly down year on offense, Rodríguez's selection seemed more based on his popularity and his previous All-Star bids than his current year.
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Rodríguez, a three-time All-Star, previously received the honor in 2022 and 2023. But his 2025 numbers fall short of both of those years at the All-Star break: With the first half of the season nearly finished, the 24-year-old outfielder has hit 11 home runs off a .244 average and a .687 OPS.
Rodríguez's current batting is more in line with his first half of 2024, the only year of his short career that he has not been named an All-Star. Rodríguez's selection this year raised a few eyebrows as a result.
But now, Rodríguez is ending the debates by bowing out.
Three of Rodríguez's Mariners teammates — catcher Cal Raleigh (who will start), pitcher Bryan Woo and reliever Andrés Muñoz — will still be headed to Atlanta. And it's possible that another Seattle player will make their way to the All-Star game: Fellow Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena was considered one of the biggest All-Star snubs this year, and could be a potential replacement for Rodríguez.