Muñoz to replace Gilbert on All-Star squad: 'It's a dream come true'

SEATTLE -- It took a few days longer than the Mariners had hoped or anticipated, but Andrés Muñoz is indeed an All-Star.

Major League Baseball announced on Friday that Seattle’s highest-leverage reliever had been added to the American League roster for the Midsummer Classic, this upcoming Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Muñoz joins starting pitcher Logan Gilbert as the Mariners’ lone representatives. But Gilbert will not pitch in the All-Star Game due to his scheduled start on Sunday in Anaheim, which will leave him on just one day of rest and unavailable. So, by happenstance, MLB made a one-for-one swap -- as Muñoz replaced Gilbert on the AL roster.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, 8 p.m. ET July 16 on FOX

Muñoz received the exciting news before Seattle’s game in Anaheim on Friday night -- and everything happened so quickly, he hadn’t even had time to properly notify his family and friends when he addressed the media.

Manager Scott Servais made the big reveal in the clubhouse Friday afternoon, but did so without even mentioning Muñoz by name … instead sending the message with a musical introduction.

“I was so nervous,” Muñoz said of his chances of making the All-Star squad, “but I got a little bit of … maybe it can happen. And then when I heard this Mexican song … it was really good, really good to be a part of that.

“[Servais] didn’t even say my name, they just put the song on and looked at me,” recalled Muñoz with a grin.

Among AL relievers with at least 25 innings, Muñoz ranks fifth with a 1.45 ERA, is tied for eighth with 15 saves (including an MLB-best six of more than four outs), 11th with a .501 OPS against and tied for 18th with 45 strikeouts.

“I’m just so proud of him,” said Servais. “From when we first acquired him to coming back from [Tommy John] surgery to probably one of his most impressive things, his ability to overcome fears of using the English language, it's been really cool to see.”

Servais spoke of Muñoz’s adaptability on the mound, emphasizing his makeup as a top-tier Major League reliever and the strides he’s taken toward where he is now.

“He's constantly learning, but he's gifted. He's got a great arm. He's got a great slider. He's got presence. He's got great hair. He's got everything else.”

It’s been a demanding season for Muñoz, who was among MLB’s most heavily-used relievers over the first two months while pitching through a lower back strain that forced him to exit a June 4 outing at Oakland. He avoided the injured list but has pitched in only 12 of Seattle’s 33 games since -- part of that being due to fewer save opportunities amid the offense’s struggles over the past three weeks.

Muñoz’s path to being a shutdown reliever has been eventful. He was acquired from San Diego in 2020 as part of a larger trade, but was on the injured list having undergone Tommy John surgery while in the Padres’ system.

“When you get traded and you're hurt, it’s one of the worst feelings because you can’t anything about it,” said Muñoz. “But to be able to handle that and do all the work that we did to get out of that … it’s really awesome to see the results of all that hard work that we've been doing.”

Muñoz has also come a long way from just earlier this season, when he walked the bases loaded on April 5 in Milwaukee then issued a walk-off walk. Last year, when he became the Mariners’ full-time closer -- along with Matt Brash -- after the club dealt Paul Sewald at the Trade Deadline, the ninth inning was admittedly a challenge. But that’s seemingly no longer the case.

Muñoz was not included on the AL’s initial roster, which was unveiled on Sunday. The group of relievers that were selected were the Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase, the Yankees’ Clay Holmes, Oakland’s Mason Miller and the Rangers’ Kirby Yates.

After Friday’s announcement, Muñoz will now sit side-by-side with the league’s best as a peer -- and he’s looking forward to the chance to catch up with some key players.

“I would like to talk a little bit with Aaron Judge. … [about] a lot of things, like what he’s thinking when I am pitching to him," Muñoz said. "I know he’s not going to say a lot because we'll probably face them again, but yeah. Just ask him, try to learn the most I can over there.”

Whatever he's able to do, it's clear Muñoz will enjoy every second of the experience.

“A lot of people say the same thing, but it’s true. It’s a dream come true,” Muñoz added before finally getting a minute to himself to share the good news with his inner circle.