Chicago Cubs pitcher Travis Wood might not be able to pitch in the All-Star Game because he is due to pitch the Sunday before against the St. Louis Cardinals, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago.
MLB rules state that Wood could decide to pitch a single inning in the All-Star Game, but the Cubs instead elected to use the other option. That option was informing NL manager Bruce Bochy that he will need to select an alternative player instead of the lone Cubs' option.
Chicago manager Dale Sveum reasoned in the report that pitching Sunday night against the Cardinals is as good a showcase of his talent as any.
"The good thing is he'll be pitching Sunday night," manager Dale Sveum said before the Cubs played the White Sox on Monday. "A pretty good venue for a guy that obviously deserves as much as anyone to be in the game. And to pitch Sunday night against the Cardinals leading into the All-Star Game is about as promoting the All-Star Game as much as anything. That's about as good as you can get other than playing in it."
The National League pitcher pool for All-Star candidates is pretty strong this year so Bochy likely won't waste much time in naming a replacement. He is not required to select a Cubs pitcher, either, meaning the team could go without a representative in this year's game.
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