The Houston Astros All Star Game contingent was already reduced in size. While four players had been selected to be a part of the exhibition, both Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa had opted out. Altuve stated that he wanted touse those four days to rest as his legs were sore, while Correa has been placed on the COVID list due to illness. Even before that placement, he had planned on heading back home to be with his wife during a doctor’s appointment to check on the progress of her pregnancy.
On Saturday, the other half of the Astros’ All Stars announced that they were not heading to Colorado as well. Both Ryan Pressley and Michael Brantley have opted out of the game for different reasons.
The Astros will not have an All-Star in Denver after Ryan Pressly (paternity) and Michael Brantley (injury) pull out. Altuve and Correa opted out earlier.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 10, 2021
Houston Astros players avoid All Star Game entirely
In Pressley’s case, he is skipping the game as his wife is due to give birth soon and he had been placed on the Paternity List. This was his second All Star nomination, as he had made the team as a setup man back in 2019 as well.
Brantley, who is now a five time All Star, has been battling soreness in his right side for the past few weeks. He plans on using that time to rest up after consulting with the Astros’ team doctors, hoping that time off will allow him to get healthy once again.
While these are all valid reasons, the optics are horrible. One can certainly understand in the case of both Correa and Pressly, especially after the latter’s wife had been advised against flying at this point. However, as both Altuve and Brantley have continued to play while dealing with their soreness, their opting out of the All Star Game is a bit more questionable.
Although Brantley was not a part of the 2017 AstroGate squad, he could have faced the ire of the fans by proxy. Altuve would have likely been booed mercilessly, as his unapologetic nature and refusal to truly acknowledge the role that may have played in their success has made him one of the most vilified players in the game.
The Houston Astros are effectively skipping the All Star Game. While their reasons may be sound, it still provides a bad optic for the team.