Marlins' Gordon out of All-Star Game with dislocated thumb
Second baseman Dee Gordon was ruled out of the All-Star Game after dislocating his left thumb Saturday, but said he thinks he avoided serious injury.
Gordon left the Miami Marlins' 14-3 win against Cincinnati in the seventh inning after he was hurt beating out an infield hit with a headfirst slide.
X-rays were negative, and there was no apparent ligament damage, manager Dan Jennings said. A physician popped the thumb back into place, and Gordon said he hopes to avoid the disabled list.
"There is definitely some relief it's not as bad as it could have been," Gordon said. "It's just sore. I actually was moving it around afterward."
The injury means both Marlins chosen as All-Star starters will miss the game. Right fielder Giancarlo Stanton has been sidelined since June 26 because of a broken left hand.
Gordon, who leads the majors with 122 hits and has 33 steals, was voted an All-Star starter for the first time. He tried to shrug off missing the chance to play in Cincinnati on Tuesday.
"It is what it is," he said. "You can't sit there and cry about it."
Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will replace Gordon on the NL's active roster. Colorado's DJ LeMahieu will start for Gordon at second. With both Miami All-Stars sidelined, the Marlins lobbied for NL manager Bruce Bochy to choose shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria as Gordon's replacement.
"Fans should have a chance to see a Marlin active," team president David Samson said. "It should have been a consideration. ... I think there should be a rule that every team should have an active player."
Jennings said it was too soon to predict when Gordon might rejoin the Marlins' lineup. The manager had no quarrel with Gordon's headfirst slide.
"When you're running down the line the way Dee does and you sniff a hit, your instincts are going to take over," Jennings said.
Gordon was sidelined two months in 2012 with a right thumb injury that required surgery. He said he knew immediately this injury wasn't as serious.
When does he hope to play again?
"Soon," he said.
Tulowitzki, making his fifth appearance in the All-Star Game, will join fellow Rockies infielders Nolan Arenado (third baseman) and D.J. LeMahieu (second baseman), both first-time All Stars. LeMahieu is slated to start after the injury to Gordon.
"Those guys, when they were young, I tried to do my best to put my hands on them and make them good baseball players and understand the game, and hopefully they say that I helped them," Tulowitzki said. "At the same time, when they're going to an All- Star game, you want to join them."
It is the first time in the Rockies' history that the team has been represented by three infielders at the All-Star game.
"Hopefully, we'll get a chance, maybe late in the game there, to play, the three Rockies infielders," Tulowitzki said. "That would be pretty cool. That would be neat for the organization and for us three, because we are so close and good friends."
Tulowitzki went hitless in four at-bats with a walk in Saturday's 3-2 win over Atlanta, snapping his career-long 21-game hitting streak. But his walk helped the Rockies rally in the ninth for the win and extended to 37 games his career-high streak in which he has reached base.
He hit .354 with two home runs, two doubles and 13 RBIs during his hitting streak, which was the longest in the majors this season and tied for fifth longest in team history.
His five All-Star selections also tied him with Todd Helton for most in Rockies history.
