Shohei Ohtani became the first Japanese player to reach 300 home runs in MLB on Tuesday, a milestone that landed in the middle of a 4-3 Dodgers loss to the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. The homer was the kind of marker that turns a regular season game into a historical line item.
The timing also put a spotlight on the Dodgers’ pitching picture. MLB announced replacements for three NL pitchers on Tuesday, and Dave Roberts said he has been lobbying for Justin Wrobleski and Tanner Scott to be next in line for the All-Star Game, with more changes and talks still possible. Roberts said there are continual talks about both guys, and he made clear he believes Wrobleski has done enough to earn the chance.
Wrobleski gave Roberts a strong case. He held the Rockies to one run through seven innings, working deep into the game even as the Dodgers came up short. Roberts said Wrobleski owns a 2.69 ERA, ranks No. 8 among qualified NL pitchers in ERA, averages more than six innings per start and has 10 wins. That kind of line would usually travel well in an All-Star conversation.
It still did not get him selected. Wrobleski said, “Obviously it’s disappointing.” He added, “You want to be an All-Star,” and called it “frustrating to not get that nod.” The frustration sits in plain view because his outing came on the same day the roster picture shifted around him, with Braxton Ashcraft replacing Paul Skenes, Jesús Luzardo replacing Jacob Misiorowski and Riley O’Brien replacing Max Meyer.
Scott’s case is a little messier. He took his second blown save on Monday, but he also has 12 saves and a 2.70 ERA, and Roberts called him one of the elite relievers in the National League. Scott struck out nine batters on Tuesday, and the only run he allowed came on a groundout in the sixth inning with runners on the corners. That is not the sort of line that ends a reliever’s All-Star argument, but it does explain why the Dodgers are still pressing the point.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto adds another wrinkle. He is lined up to start Saturday and may be taken off the table for the All-Star Game next Tuesday, which leaves the Dodgers watching how many pitchers the National League will still need to fill out. The team already has the first National League All-Star voted in this year in Ohtani, but the pitching side can keep moving as schedules and workloads reshape the roster.
That leaves Wrobleski in a position that is both simple and unresolved: he pitched like an All-Star, and he still is waiting for the call. Roberts is still making the case, and the next deadline that matters is whether the replacements continue before next Tuesday’s game.
