Royals’ Estévez replaces Rangers’ deGrom on AL All-Star roster; Mariners’ Rodríguez will sit out

By The Associated Press

Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estévez on Friday was named to replace Texas’ Jacob deGrom on the American League roster for the All-Star Game.

DeGrom will be inactive because his scheduled start for the Rangers’ game at Houston on Saturday night falls too close to Tuesday’s All-Star Game. DeGrom will travel to Atlanta and participate in All-Star activities.

Estévez, a 2023 All-Star when he was with the Los Angeles Angels, joins Bobby Witt Jr. and Kris Bubic as Kansas City’s representatives.

The 32-year-old right-hander has 25 saves and a 2.03 ERA in 39 appearances after signing with the Royals as a free agent in January. He is tied with Houston’s Josh Hader for the AL saves lead and is two behind San Diego’s Robert Suarez for the major league lead.

The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate. He had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners said Rodriguez will use the All-Star break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.” Rodriguez is batting .244 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb