Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers already lost one participant in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game when Shohei Ohtani decided to undergo a minor procedure on his left knee, which will force him to miss the Midsummer Classic.
Now, Yoshinobu Yamamoto became the latest Dodgers player to decide against playing in the game. The Dodgers and Yamamoto were undecided on if he would pitch, but he has chosen to take the game off.
“Yeah, he’s not going to pitch in the All-Star Game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed. “That’s right.”
Yamamoto can still attend the festivities at Citizens Bank Park but he was not going to be available after making a start for the Dodgers on Saturday, and that seems to be the plan for him.
“As I understand it, Yoshinonbu will be there,” Roberts said. “Shohei will not be, but Yoshinobu will be there.”
He conceivably could’ve made a brief appearance in the All-Star Game, perhaps mimicking a bullpen session on three days of rest.
Yamamoto was named to his second consecutive All-Star Game after going 8-5 with a 2.67 ERA, 3.41 FIP and 0.89 WHIP across 97.2 innings while striking out 24.1% of hitters and walking just 5.1% when rosters were announced.
Since being named an All-Star, he has pitched twice more, dominating the San Diego Padres but struggling on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
When Yamamoto nearly had a perfect game against the Chicago White Sox, he became the first pitcher in MLB history to retire the final 22 hitters in his last outing, and then the first 22 batters of his next start.
Yamamoto’s streak wound up reaching 45 consecutive batters retired, which tied Mark Buehrle (from 2009) for the second-longest stretch in MLB history. The MLB record for most batters retired in a row is 46, held by Yusmeiro Petit when he accomplished the feat in 2014.
Dodgers gain new extra All-Star
Although Yamamoto will not pitch, the Dodgers will still have a representative who should make his All-Star debut on the mound.
Justin Wrobleski was named as a replacement on the National League roster for Chase Burns.
Wrobleski has been a breakout star this season and is now rewarded with his first career selection to the All-Star Game. The left-hander has gone 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA, 3.39 FIP and 1.01 WHIP across 100.1 innings while striking out 18.3% of hitters and walking 5%.
Wrobleski is one of three pitchers this season to reach the 10-win mark, joining Aaron Ashby of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez.
He also became one of only two Dodgers pitchers over the last decade to earn 10 wins in a season before the start of July, joining Clayton Kershaw, who did it three times in 2016, 2017, and 2023.
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