ST. LOUIS – Nolan Arenado will not participate in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday as he deals with an ongoing injury.
Arenado will opt out of the game due to lower-back tightness, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold and other reports. Arenado is also out of the lineup Saturday to rest. He will be replaced on the National League roster by Atlanta’s Austin Riley.
Now midway through his second season with the St. Louis Cardinals, Arenado was named as an All-Star reserve last weekend. He finished second in All-Star fan voting among NL third basemen behind Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres. Major League Baseball will still recognize Arenado as an All-Star, but he will miss out on his seventh All-Star Game appearance.
The nine-time Gold Glove winner has cruised to a .293 batting average, 18 home runs and 59 RBIs this season. In recent weeks, the Cardinals have rested Arenado or slotted him at designated hitter on occasion while he deals with back tightness.
Paul Goldshcmidt, Ryan Helsley and Albert Pujols will represent the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game. Pujols is set to compete in the Home Run Derby on Monday as part of the All-Star week festivities.