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Cardinals' Yadier Molina Elects to Skip 2021 MLB All-Star Game, Citing Foot Injury
July 10, 2021
After being named an injury replacement on the National League All-Star team on Saturday, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina decided against playing in the All-Star Game.
According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Molina will instead use the All-Star break to rest his ailing foot.
Molina, who turns 39 on Tuesday, earned his 10th career All-Star nod after San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey pulled out of the All-Star Game with a thumb injury that landed him on the 10-day injured list.
In his 18th MLB season, Molina is slashing .258/.305/.417 with eight home runs, 40 RBI and 26 runs scored.
Along with being a 10-time All-Star, Molina is a one-time Silver Slugger award winner and one of the greatest defensive backstops of all time with nine Gold Gloves and four Platinum Gloves.
Molina played a key role in the Cards winning the World Series in 2006 and 2011 as well.
St. Louis entered play Saturday in fourth place in the NL Central with a 43-46 record, 9.5 games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
With Posey out of the All-Star Game, reserve catcher J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies was inserted into the NL's starting lineup.
Now, MLB must decide on a replacement for Molina, and there are a few solid options to choose from.
Milwaukee's Omar Narvaez, Willson Contreras of the Chicago Cubs and Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers stand out most.
Narvaez is hitting .301 with eight homers and 26 RBI, Contreras is hitting .236 with 13 home runs and 31 RBI, and Smith is hitting .254 with 10 homers and 31 RBI.
The 2021 MLB All-Star Game will take place at the Colorado Rockies' Coors Field in Denver on Tuesday night.