Mikolas won't pitch in All-Star Game after being scheduled to start Sunday for Cards
CHICAGO -- Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas was removed from the National League's active roster for the All-Star Game next Tuesday because he is scheduled to start Sunday for St. Louis against the Cincinnati Reds.
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling was added to the NL pitching staff Wednesday as Mikolas' replacement.
Mikolas is 10-3 with a 2.65 ERA and was selected to his first All-Star team last weekend. The 29-year-old right-hander is enjoying a resurgent season in the majors following three years in Japan.
"He understands how important it is to give us our best shot on Sunday," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "He's got to pitch (Sunday). And that's what he wants to do."
Mikolas will still receive full All-Star honors in Washington.
"There's always the potential that you go there and don't play," Matheny added. "It's just the honor more than anything -- and the experience. It will be a great experience for him."
Stripling also has been a big surprise since stepping into an injury-depleted rotation for the Dodgers. He is 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 24 games, including 13 starts. In his third big-league season, he has 103 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 89 1/3 innings.
