Chase Burns will not pitch in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, and Cincinnati Reds fans are letting their feelings be known.
Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Saturday that Burns, who earned his first career All-Star selection as a player-elected pick, will be replaced by Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski at the Midsummer Classic.
Burns pitched on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, and under standard All-Star eligibility practice, starting pitchers who throw in the final days before the break are not expected to pitch in the game two days later.
Burns, 23, has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. The No. 2 overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 2024 MLB Draft is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings. He was a player-elected pick, giving the Reds one of their most celebrated All-Star moments in recent memory.
The news broke Saturday afternoon and the reaction online was immediate.
"Why? This is sudden and there's zero explanations," wrote one fan.
"So stupid. It's been a miserable season, this was a lone bright spot. Way to just keep driving fan interest down and down," added another.
"That's insane. He pitched on Wednesday..." said one more.
"Typical Reds. One lone bright spot and they [expletive] all over it," wrote another.
"I sure hope this is not rest related and not injury related," added a fifth.
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Wrobleski is 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP for the Dodgers this season, numbers that earned him a strong case for the All-Star roster before this opening arose.
The Reds finished the first half at 43-50. Burns' absence denies him the chance to pitch in front of a sellout crowd in Philadelphia, adding to an already difficult first half for Cincinnati.
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