​SAN FRANCISCO — There’s little risk of Logan Webb pitching this week in Philadelphia while hungover, the way he did after soaking up his first All-Star experience a bit too deeply. It isn’t that the Giants’ ace plans to skip the pregame festivities entirely; after discussions with manager Tony Vitello and the Giants’ coaching staff, it was decided that Webb shouldn’t pitch in Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic.
Webb will be fully rested, having made his last start of the first half on Wednesday, but he will only be available to National League manager Dave Roberts if everyone else is unavailable. The decision wasn’t born of a single player choice but emerged from team conversations, Webb explained before boarding a cross-country flight for his third All-Star appearance. “I might still be pitching in the game, but I think the plan was, at least from my understanding, talking to our team, not to pitch,” he said.
The rationale is twofold: Webb already exceeded his usual workload by competing in the World Baseball Classic this spring, and he also missed a month with bursitis in his right knee, landing him on the injured list for the first time since 2021. “He’s done a lot, in general, when you count the WBC and then a couple of those outings with some knee pain,” Giants manager Vitello noted. “I think the biggest thing he did for fans and for baseball was to throw in that WBC. … I think he put in his time there.”
Webb, who will be the Giants’ representative alongside Luis Arraez, will get some break time during the All-Star break for the first time in three years. He appeared in each of the previous two exhibitions with varying degrees of success when he was selected as an All-Star. Last year, he pitched a scoreless inning in a 6-6 tie at Truist Park in Atlanta. In 2024, he allowed three runs on three hits and a walk in the NL’s 5-3 loss at Globe Life Field in Texas, and afterward admitted he had celebrated a bit too much the night before.
There’s no reason to believe Webb won’t enjoy himself again this time around, though fans will miss seeing one of the game’s most durable and dependable starters in action. Among those snubs, Zack Wheeler stands out as perhaps the most conspicuous given his strong return from thoracic outlet surgery and the fact that the game is at his home park. Yet there were four other qualified NL starters with lower ERAs than Webb’s who were not selected.
Even with Webb easing off the pace, the broader point remains: the decision to sit him was made with a team-first mindset, balancing the All-Star celebration with the long view of a high-caliber pitcher who has shouldered heavy workloads and injuries in recent seasons. For Webb and the Giants, the break offers a chance to reset, recharge, and come back ready to contribute at the level fans expect from a pitcher who has long been one of the game’s most reliable anchors.