Elly De La Cruz and Andrew Abbott will represent the Cincinnati Reds at next week's MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta after Abbott's selection Tuesday.
From snub to super sub?
The Cincinnati Reds will have at least two MLB All-Stars for next week's midsummer classic Atlanta after left-hander Andrew Abbott was selected to the National League roster as an replacement Tuesday night, joining teammate Elly De La Cruz.
He replaces Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is ineligible to pitch in Tuesday's All-Star game because he's scheduled to pitch Sunday for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Abbott and teammates held out hope after Sunday's initial roster announcements that he might yet find an avenue to Atlanta.
“I think I did enough to deserve it, but at the end of the day I don’t control it, so I don’t really put a lot on it,” Abbott said Monday. “You think about it in the moment when it’s announced. But that’s nothing to take away from those guys (who were selected). I pitched really well, want to continue pitching well, and we’ll see what happens.”
It's the first career selection for Abbott, who's 7-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 15 starts for the playoff-minded Reds.
The Reds are 11-4 in his starts (35-40 when he doesn’t start). He’s 4-0 after a Reds loss this season.
That value has been especially conspicuous in the prolonged absence of Opening Day starter Hunter Greene, who just experienced a setback with balky groin injury he first suffered in early May.
“It’d be great to represent my family," Abbott said, "all the hard work I’ve done, personally, represent Cincinnati and the team and all the guys on the team that should have gotten votes and consideration themselves."
It's the second year in a row the Reds nabbed a second All-Star bid after rosters were initially announced, with Greene earning a career-first selection last season as an injury replacement for Tyler Glasgow.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Andrew Abbott selected as Cincinnati Reds' second MLB All-Star
Category: Baseball
