Jun 6, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Detroit Tigers at Philadelphia Phillies
(Philadelphia, PA) — Was Taijuan Walker’s invitation to the All-Star Game lost in the mail? Perhaps he never even got one.
The ex-Mets pitcher tweeted Wednesday that he was never actually invited to this year’s All-Star Game, in turn denying a report from The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, who stated Walker had been asked to join the All-Star team as a replacement but already had family plans.
“If there was an opportunity for me to be part of an all-star game I would’ve been there,” wrote Walker, who is now on the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Especially, with it being in the city of the team that drafted me. I was told it was a possibility only! Unfortunately that possibility never fully presented itself. #ThankYou #2ndHalf”
Walker’s response came a day after Heyman’s initial report that said “Taijuan Walker was asked to be on the All-Star team as a replacement, but he already had family plans.
The 30-year-old, who signed a four-year $72 million deal with the Phillies in December, is 10-3 with a 4.02 ERA. The 10 wins ties him for first in the National League in that category.
He would have joined Nick Castellanos, Craig Kimbrel and the Phillies coaching staff in Seattle for what would have been his second All-Star nod. Walker spent the first five years of his career as a Mariner from 2013 to 2016.
