Ideal Roadside: Should Steven Wright Start All-Star Game? John Farrell Says It’s Unlikely

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Should Steven Wright Start All-Star Game? John Farrell Says It’s Unlikely

Steven Wright has been one of the best pitchers in the American League this season, and his first career All-Star nod is a testament to that.

But has the Boston Red Sox’s resident knuckleballer done enough to lead the AL out onto the field in the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 12?

You certainly could make that case, as Wright enters Wednesday with a 2.42 ERA, second behind only Cleveland Indians starter Danny Salazar (2.36 ERA) for lowest in the AL. The 31-year-old veteran also has taken on a heavy workload — his 108 innings pitched are 10th-most in the AL, and that number will rise after his start against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

John Farrell put a damper on any talk of Wright starting, however. The Red Sox manager revealed he has talked to the Kansas City Royals’ Ned Yost, who will manage the AL squad, about Wright’s usage, and Yost told him Wright likely won’t take the mound first for the AL in San Diego.

“There’s been some communication there, yes,” Farrell said Wednesday. “I don’t think he’s going to start the game, but they asked if he was able to pitch up to two innings, which he will be given the number of days rest between (Wednesday night) and next Tuesday.”

Wright has been excellent this season, but there are plenty of other worthy candidates to start this year’s All-Star Game. Salazar boasts a 10-3 record to go along with his league-best ERA, and Texas Rangers ace Cole Hamels sports a 9-2 record with a 2.93 ERA and 105 strikeouts.

Yet the favorite to start the Midsummer Classic likely is Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale, who leads the AL in wins with a 14-2 record, has a sub-3.00 ERA and has struck out 118 batters with a 0.98 WHIP.

Even if Wright doesn’t toe the rubber in the first inning, he should see some game action, which is quite the feat given how far the 31-year-old right-hander has come. The Red Sox also will be well-represented, as four Boston players will start next Tuesday.

“The fact that we’ve got four guys voted into the starting lineup speaks volumes that their performance is recognized around the country, not just here in Boston or fans of the Red Sox,” Farrell said. “I think it’s fantastic we have the number of guys we do in the starting lineup, and certainly six in total. So, it’s a very good group to add to and build around.”