LOS ANGELES — Justin Wrobleski received the message loud and clear.
If it is more of a good that is needed, he is willing to oblige.
While the Dodgers placed five players on the National League All-Star team, Wrobleski was not one of them. His breakout season has him with numbers that match up to many of the best pitchers in the game, yet his star is not set to shine just yet.
“Yeah, obviously it’s upsetting,” Wrobleski said.
Wrobleski knows that All-Star rosters are a numbers game. There are only so many spots to go around and his team already landed a fistful of them. He is also well aware that each club needs to be represented.
And yet, the All-Star Game snub has Wrobleski determined to do even more.
“I mean, you want to be an All-Star and I felt like I did enough to kind of put myself in that conversation, if not be there,” Wrobleski said. “To not get the selection, yeah, it definitely adds some fuel to the fire for the rest of this year. Go out there every outing and prove that I’m worthy of that, and that I’m going to be one of those guys moving forward.”
Wrobleski’s credentials seemed pretty clear. Entering Sunday’s play, he had the same number of wins (10) as the expected NL starter: Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez. He had the same WHIP (1.01) as reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“To be a 10-game winner right now, to do what he’s done for us, he’s not only raising the floor, but also raising the ceiling,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s pretty impressive. There’s more in there. He’s very prepared. Really good competitor.”
Roberts went as far as to compare Wrobleski to Clayton Kershaw, at least when it comes to having a keen eye for details.
“He’s had Clayton as a mentor, so he channels a lot of what Clayton did on the preparation, gameday side of things,” Roberts said.
At this time last year, outfielder Andy Pages was the one left off the All-Star Game roster. Pages turned the occasion into the fuel for a hard-working offseason that led to his first All-Star spot this year.
As Dodgers teammates did with Pages, they let Wrobleski know he was more than worthy of a spot alongside Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Pages and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“I’ve had plenty of teammates come out to me and tell me, keep going,” Wrobleski said. “Will (Smith) came up to me and said it’s happened to him a few times.”
Roberts noted that injuries and availability could end up opening an All-Star spot for Wrobleski. In the meantime, the lefty will look to improve on a 10-2 record with a 2.80 ERA over 93⅓ innings, not to mention a rate of 1.71 walks per nine innings that leads the NL.
“At the end of the day, it’s just an All-Star Game and I’m just kind of focused on now to just keep doing what I’m doing and see where it takes me by the end of the year,” Wrobleski said. “Hopefully we win another World Series. That’s a little more important than an All-Star Game.”
LATE CHANGE
Originally in the lineup at second base, Tommy Edman was a late scratch after he was hit by a Mason Miller pitch in the ninth inning Saturday. Edman was plunked in the area of the right ankle where he had surgery in the offseason.
Roberts said he is “not too concerned” about the issue and projects that Edman could return to the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies.
MAKING PROGRESS
Right-handed closer Edwin Diaz faced hitters in a live throwing session Sunday and said he has been cleared for a minor league rehab assignment.
“I’ll start doing a rehab assignment so any moment after the All-Star break, I hope I can be back with the team,” said Diaz, who had four saves with a concerning 10. 50 ERA before needing arthroscopic surgery for loose bodies in his elbow.
Also Sunday, Diaz addressed a USA Today report from May that linked him to cockfighting in Puerto Rico. Diaz was asked if the commissioner’s office had reached out to him.
“No, they didn’t reach (out) to me because I wasn’t doing nothing illegal (in Puerto Rico),” Diaz said. “… But at the end of the day, I’m looking to help this team to win. I’m past that news. Help this team to win in a positive way.”
ALSO
Left-hander Blake Snell threw a bullpen session as he continues to progress from a May procedure to remove loose bodies in his elbow. … Kiké Hernandez hit against Diaz in the afternoon and followed that with infield drills at third base as he progresses from an oblique injury. … After Roberts said right-hander Evan Phillips would return to the active roster from Tommy John surgery on Sunday, that move is now expected to take place Monday.
UP NEXT
Rockies (LHP Kyle Freeland, 2-7, 7.25 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Eric Lauer, 4-5, 4.84 ERA), Monday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM, 1020 AM