Braves' Freddie Freeman ruled out of All-Star Game, teammate Brian McCann takes spot
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman will not play in the All-Star Game. (Photo by the Associated Press)
Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has been ruled out for the All-Star Game because of an injured thumb, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Freeman will be replaced by teammate, catcher Brian McCann, MLB announced Sunday. It's McCann's seventh All-Star selection.
Freeman beat out Los Angeles Dodgers center field Yasiel Puig in the National League Final Vote, with a record with 19.7 million votes, and is out of the Sunday's lineup.
Freeman was injured when shortstop Andrelton Simmons threw wide of the first base bag, jamming his left thumb in Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Freeman is batting .308 with nine home runs and 61 RBI in 81 games for the first place Braves.
“I guess my thumb was in the wrong place,” Freeman said. “Just one of those freak injuries I seem to run into every single year. But it’s not too bad. So we’re just going to try to take a day off and see how it goes.”
More from the AJC:
With Freeman unavailable to play Sunday in the last game before the break, the Braves activated Evan Gattis from the disabled list and placed center fielder B.J. Upton on the DL with a strained right adductor muscle.
Freeman wore a splint to immobilize his thumb on Sunday and said in the morning that he didn’t know yet if he’d be able to play in Tuesday’s All-Star game at New York. But the decision was made soon after. He won’t play.
