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Justin Wrobleski was not among the Dodgers’ five initial All-Star selections, and he wasn’t added when MLB named replacements on Tuesday either. The left-hander told reporters he was “disappointed” to be left out, per staff at Dodger Blue. Three pitchers — Braxton Ashcraft, Jesús Luzardo, and Riley O’Brien — were added to the National League roster instead.

Wrobleski has been one of the best stories in baseball this season. The 24-year-old lefty came into 2026 as a promising but unproven arm — a fourth-round pick out of Duke in 2022 who climbed through the system quickly thanks to a heavy fastball, sharp slider, and the kind of competitiveness that endeared him to the Dodgers’ pitching development staff. He broke into the rotation last September and showed enough to earn a spot out of spring training this year. Since then, he’s been one of our most reliable starters. We just saw him deal seven strong innings against the Rockies in his most recent outing, and his body of work across the first half — low walk rate, improved changeup, consistent deep outings — made him a legitimate All-Star candidate. The snub clearly stings, and honestly, I get it.

The Dodgers tied the Phillies and Braves with five initial selections to the Midsummer Classic, which is a reflection of just how loaded this roster is. But having that many representatives also means guys on the fringe — even deserving ones — can get squeezed out. Wrobleski falls into that category. He’s pitching like an All-Star, but the NL is deep with arms this year, and the replacement selections went in other directions. Ashcraft has been dominant for Pittsburgh, Luzardo has bounced back nicely in Miami, and O’Brien has emerged as one of the better relief arms in the league. All worthy. That doesn’t make Wrobleski’s omission any easier to swallow.

What matters more than the All-Star nod is what Wrobleski does in the second half. He’s established himself as a core part of this rotation — not a placeholder, not a back-end guy, but a legitimate mid-rotation starter who can match up with anybody. The disappointment is real and it’s valid. But if he keeps pitching the way he has, the recognition will come. For now, he gets the extended break, comes back fresh, and keeps building on what’s been a genuinely impressive first full season. We need him sharp down the stretch far more than we need him throwing an inning in Philadelphia.

I’ll say this plainly: Wrobleski deserved consideration. The fact that he’s openly disappointed rather than giving some rehearsed “I’m just happy for my teammates” answer tells you something about where his head is. He believes he belongs, and based on what we’ve watched all year, he’s right. Use it as fuel. The second half is where legacies start getting built.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: July 8, 2026 5:03 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers