An injury to a fellow American League starting pitcher could open the door for White Sox right-hander Davis Martin to earn his first career MLB All-Star selection.
Chicago White Sox right-handed pitcher Davis Martin was one of a few deserving players who were snubbed from the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.
Despite a tremendous first half in which he has anchored the starting rotation for the White Sox, a team that sits in first place in the AL Central and has been the best story in baseball, Martin still doesn't get the national recognition he deserves.
He's not a big-name starting pitcher on a large free agent contract. He's never been in contention for Cy Young Awards in the past. And that lack of name recognition often makes it difficult to be selected to the All-Star team via the players' vote or the commissioner's office.
There’s definitely a case to be made that MLB missed the mark by putting Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha on the All-Star roster ahead of Martin or even Sonny Gray of the Boston Red Sox. But the door is not completely closed on Martin making the first All-Star Game of his career.
In fact, over the weekend, another pitcher's misfortune may have been exactly what Davis Martin needed to make the All-Star team.
During his most recent start, Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez exited the game in the third inning while shaking out his left leg. The Red Sox said afterward that Suarez was dealing with left adductor tightness in his groin.
While the early indication is that Suarez avoided any severe injury, it's also pretty safe to assume that he won't be pushing it by suiting up for the All-Star Game in Philadelphia next week. When asked about it by the media, Suarez didn't even want to comment on the All-Star Game.
"For me, the most important thing is just to be as healthy as possible for the second half,” said Suarez, a 30-year-old who was selected to his second career All-Star Game in 2026 after inking a $130 million deal with Boston last winter.
This probably means another American League starting pitcher will be added to the roster to replace Suarez over the next few days. That could very well be Davis Martin. But even if someone like Sonny Gray gets the nod instead, it moves Martin up the line as replacements continue to be announced.
If there's another starting pitcher in the American League who pitches on Saturday or Sunday, that too could make them unavailable for the All-Star Game and create the need for another replacement. I think there's no doubt the White Sox deserve more than one representative in the Midsummer Classic. Most people around baseball recognize that.
And whether that means it's Colson Montgomery or Davis Martin, I do think there will be another White Sox player or two named to the All-Star team before the end of the week. And Davis Martin's odds just got a lot better.
