Yu Darvish said Saturday he had no choice but to give up on pitching in the MLB All-Star Game with just one day in between the Midsummer Classic and his next scheduled start.
Darvish, the Texas Rangers' ace selected to his fourth All-Star team in six years, is slated to take the mound on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels. The showcase game is on Tuesday in Miami.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians, also scheduled to pitch Sunday, are joining Darvish in giving up their All-Star place.
"I thought it probably makes sense not to," Darvish said. "All the pitchers who pitch right before the All-Star break don't play. It's just how it is."
Darvish will still head to Marlins Park to take part in the festivities.
"Whether you pitch or not depends on the circumstances, but what I'll definitely be able to do is talk with the other All-Stars. I can learn, gain a lot from doing that," he said.