We know that two more All Stars will be added to the mix on Thursday when the winners of the Final Vote tally are announced, but at least one additional player is likely to be added to the American League roster as well. With the Texas Rangers placing right-hander Yu Darvish on the disabled list with a strained trapezius muscle, it is up to AL manager Jim Leyland to find a suitable replacement in the coming days.
2013 MLB All-Star Game: Jim Leyland mulling over Yu Darvish replacement
With the Rangers right-hander hitting the DL with an arm issue, it’s Leyland’s job to add another pitcher to the AL roster.
Leon Halip
More Baseball: Rangers Place Darvish on DL
Had an All-Star position player been injured, then his replacement would have been the player with the next highest vote total in among the fan balloting. But because Darvish is a pitcher, the task falls to Leyland.
Kobe Voting Puig
Bryant respects the Puig, and wants to see him on the national stage next week. Leyland doesn’t seem too stressed about the task, per Bobby Nightengale of MLB.com:
“Since it’s a pitcher, it’ll be my pick, and I’ll just have to go back to my laptop and what do you call it, the iPad, and go to work...”
”I know kind of the order we have them, so it won’t be too hard, but I’ll get the iPad out.“I don’t think Leyland is shilling for Apple, but that is two iPad mentions in two sentences, so...
Leyland did not mention any candidates outright, but the hubbub around the Internet seems to be that A's closer Grant Balfour was the biggest AL snub so far as pitchers are concerned. That being said, the AL Final Vote candidates are all relievers themselves, so perhaps Leyland will choose one of the four that doesn't win the tally.
More from SB Nation:
See More:
