The American League will be trading in one Seattle Mariners outfielder for another at the MLB All-Star Game, as Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez will be replaced by left fielder Randy Arozarena.
Rodríguez, a somewhat controversial selection in the first place, announced Friday on social media that he was withdrawing from the exhibition, saying he wanted to focus on the latter half of the season.
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But Seattle will still have representation in the AL outfield: The league announced later Friday that Arozarena will be Rodríguez’s replacement. In connection with discourse about whether Rodríguez deserved his All-Star spot, Arozarena was considered one of the biggest All-Star snubs this year.
In a statement on social media, Rodríguez cited rest as one of the reasons he was removing himself from the All-Star Game.
“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.”
Rodríguez didn’t say whether he was injured. But the center fielder has been banged up at multiple times throughout the season.
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 down year on offense, his selection seemed more based on his popularity and his previous All-Star bids than his current stats.
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Compared to his previous All-Star selections in 2022 and 2023, Rodríguez’s numbers have been down this season, which added to the chatter that Arozarena should’ve been selected in his place.
While Rodríguez and Arozarena have similar batting averages, Arozarena’s 15 homers and .800 OPS outpace Rodríguez through the first half of the season.
In addition to Arozarena, three other Mariners — catcher Cal Raleigh (who will start the game and participate in the Home Run Derby), pitcher Bryan Woo and reliever Andrés Muñoz — will be headed to Atlanta.
