Editorials

Dodgers News: Zack Greinke Named NL All-Star Starting Pitcher

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

At the beginning of last week the Los Angeles Dodgers found out they had four players named to the National League All-Star team. A couple days later they found out that Joc Pederson would be participating in the Home Run Derby. On Sunday they found out that Clayton Kershaw would be joining the other four Dodgers in Cincinnati for the All-Star Game, and that Pederson would be in the starting lineup.

Now the Dodgers have learned of another accolade for one of their All-Stars, as Zack Greinke has been named the starting pitcher for the NL team.



The right-hander was considered one of the favorites to start the game, and become a clear-cut favorite when Max Scherzer pitched on Sunday, taking him out of the running. Greinke leads the entire MLB with a 1.39 ERA at the break, becoming the first pitcher with a sub-1.40 ERA at the break since 1981. Overall, the 31-year-old is 8-2 in 18 starts (123.1 innings) with 106 strikeouts.

Greinke becomes the first Dodgers pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Brad Penny in 2006. Kershaw has been considered the past two seasons, but was ultimately skipped over for other pitchers.

For Greinke, the All-Star Game start just adds another notch to his belt and another bullet point in a potential contract negotiation this winter should he opt out of his contract with the Dodgers. After this season, he would have three years and $77 million left on his deal, but he can opt out of that and try to get a bigger contract. If he continues to pitch this way, he could be setting himself up for a huge payday.

Regardless of that situation, Greinke will give the Dodgers two starters in the All-Star Game for the first time since 1995, and they will be well represented this year in Cincinnati.

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Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

2 Comments

  1. With $77 million dollars still to go, just why would he want to leave the Dodgers? I can think of the lack of hitting, but what do these millionaire players do with all their money? We here way down the money level would be overly content to stay with the one team and to invest our income wisely. Since we know we cannot take it with us, would we just be making our children and grandchildren that much better off upon our departure? Unfortunately, the more the Dodgers try to build around Greinke thinking he will leave at season’s end, he may just do that rather than upset the plans for next season.

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