Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Cristopher Sánchez will start Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game in his home ballpark, taking the mound for the National League against right-hander Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays announced Sunday that Cease will be the American League’s starter at Citizens Bank Park in the 96th edition of the Midsummer Classic. Dave Roberts of the two-time reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who is managing the NL, said Sanchez is his starter.
“I think he deserves it. He’s the hometown ballplayer, and I think the city of Philly will enjoy watching him and supporting him,” Roberts said. “I had a conversation with him this morning. … He was very grateful. In a time when guys are not wanting to participate, this guy in the Midsummer Classic for fans, I think this is a good thing. He’s very excited about pitching.”
Also Sunday, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said his team’s Cam Schlittler was not planning to pitch in the MLB All-Star Game, then hours later said the right-hander could be available after all.
With less than 72 hours left before the game, there was no replacement planned for the AL roster if Schlittler wasn’t going to pitch.
“The staff’s had a lot of injuries this year … I don’t want to put that risk in there of kind of letting the team down,” Schlittler said after New York’s road win against the Washington Nationals. “I’m on the roster, and if they need me, I’ll throw. That’s a conversation I’ll have within the next day or two.”
Schlittler was a candidate to start, boasting an AL-leading ERA of 2.05. He pitched for the Yankees on Saturday.
Sanchez is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA this season. He’s third in the major leagues with 144 strikeouts. His streak of 50 2/3 scoreless innings is among the highlights so far in the 2026 MLB season.
Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, who leads the majors in earned run average (1.62), walks and hits per inning pitched (0.76) and strikeouts (167), was replaced on the NL roster earlier in the week, when it appeared he would be starting for his team Sunday. Milwaukee then scratched him from that start because of arm fatigue.
Cease is 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA for the Blue Jays, last year’s AL pennant winners. He nearly threw his second career no-hitter Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants, but it was broken up in the ninth inning.
He will be the first Toronto pitcher to start the MLB All-Star Game since Roy Halladay in 2009.
“It’s really cool how all of these things have lined up, you know, even being able to pitch in it and having a good enough first half to be in the running for it and all that,” Cease said. “And the fact that pretty much our entire staff is going, it’s really a really great recipe.”
Cease got the word from his manager, John Schneider, who will skipper the AL squad, during a team meeting before Sunday’s series finale against the host San Diego Padres.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Cease said. “I didn’t know what to say. Everyone’s saying, ‘Give a speech,’ and I’m like — I was pretty speechless, so it was just a really cool experience.”