astros out
2 Houston Astros superstars pull out of upcoming All Star Game
After both were snubbed as starters and later named as reserves this week, Houston Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa have announced that they will not play in next week’s All-Star Game.
Both players were named reserves for the July 13 game in Denver.
Second baseman and slugger Altuve, the 2017 AL Most Valuable Player, cited unspecified "issues" with his left leg as his reason for pulling out of the match.
“I really think I need those four days to get everything on my leg right and be really healthy for the second half because I feel like the team needs me 100 percent," ABC13 reports Altuve as saying. This is Altuve’s seventh All Star Game selection.
Meanwhile, shortstop Correa, made it abundantly clear why he’s skipping this year’s game. The Astros star, who received his second All-Star nod this season, is choosing to instead spend time with his wife Daniella, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child.
“Baseball is really important to me, but family will always come first, so we decided I'm going to stay here with her, spend this time,” ABC13 quotes Correa as saying. “Obviously, we don't get a lot of time together with baseball season, so I'm pretty excited about that.”
ABC13 also notes that both Altuve and Correa say they’ve enjoyed playing in previous All Star games and that canceling was not an easy decision.