Unlike last season, there will be no griping when Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski is selected to the All-Star Game this year. Misiorowski gave up two homers and a career-high-tying five runs (one earned) in Thursday's loss to the Cincinnati Reds (CIN 7, MIL 2), though he still leads qualified pitchers with a 1.47 ERA and all pitchers with 156 strikeouts and 4.3 WAR.
Misiorowski is a slam-dunk All-Star, but given Milwaukee's pitching schedule, it is unlikely he will pitch in the Fall Classic. Brewers manager Pat Murphy announced that Misiorowski is scheduled to start next Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals and then next Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. That would take him out of play for the All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 14, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
"I'm being honest: We're just trying to win games," Murphy explained (via MLB.com). "You see the way the Cubs are playing. You see how good everyone in our division is. Miz's health is important."
By rule, pitchers who start on the Sunday before the All-Star Game are ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game itself. Next Sunday's start in Pittsburgh would take Misiorowski out of play for the Midsummer Classic. He will still be an All-Star. He'll just be a spectator.
"I get it. We're not looking for right now, we're looking for September and October. It sucks. Obviously, I want to throw in a game like that. So be it," Misiorowski said (via MLB.com). "... It makes it a little easier. Makes it a little cooler that you get to be one of the veterans that you were there with last year who kind of got to be in the background and watch it."
Who could start for the National League?
A rainout could always change things, but right now, Misiorowski is on track to make two starts before the All-Star break and then be ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said no decision has been made regarding Shohei Ohtani's availability as a pitcher for the All-Star Game. Roberts is also the NL manager.
Ohtani can really only start the All-Star Game as a pitcher. Warming up and coming out of the bullpen is impractical when he'll be in the lineup at DH. If Ohtani does not pitch in the All-Star Game, and Misiorowski remains ineligible to pitch because of his schedule, it opens the door for Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez to start the All-Star Game in his home stadium.
Misiorowski, 24, has thrown 104 innings this season. His career high is the 141 ⅓ innings he threw last year. Teams often use the All-Star break to give their young starters an extended breather in the middle of the summer. The Brewers could push Misiorowski back to the third, fourth or even fifth game after the All-Star break just to manage his workload.
Thursday's loss dropped the Brewers to 53-32 on the season. They have a five-game lead over the surging Cubs in the NL Central. Milwaukee has baseball's second-best record behind Ohtani's Dodgers (57-31).
