Ailing hip to keep Posey out of All-Star Game

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants catcher Buster Posey will receive a cortisone shot to treat persistent right hip discomfort and will miss next Tuesday's All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, manager Bruce Bochy announced Monday.
Posey, 31, was selected by fellow players to appear in his sixth Midsummer Classic. Instead, he'll receive the shot -- most likely, shortly before or after the Giants' final game prior to the All-Star break this Sunday. The Giants then would hope that Posey's pain diminishes before San Francisco opens the season's second half at Oakland on July 20.
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Posey expressed disappointment over missing a chance to join baseball's elite.
"It's an honor to be selected to the All-Star Game," Posey said. "It's not something I take for granted. It's a decision I didn't come to lightly."
The Cardinals' Yadier Molina was named to replace Posey on the National League roster. Cubs catcher Willson Contreras is slated to start behind the plate for the NL in the 89th Midsummer Classic. The event will be played at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, July 17, at 4:30 p.m. PT and will be televised nationally on FOX; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.
Bochy said the ailment has "without question" diminished Posey's power. The NL's Rookie of the Year in 2010 and Most Valuable Player in 2012 entered Monday's series opener against the Chicago Cubs with a .412 slugging percentage, which would be a career low for a full season. As a right-handed batter, the .285-hitting Posey would struggle to drive pitches into the gaps or over walls with a sore right hip.
Posey, who entered 2018 with 128 homers, has five in 313 plate appearances this season. Having spent most of his career occupying the third or fourth positions in the batting order, Posey has increasingly hit second, as he did for the 24th time this season Monday against the Cubs.
Posey is on pace to appear in 130 games, which would be a personal low for a full season. He would catch 109 games at his current pace, a total he has fallen short of in two of the previous three seasons.
Posey was expected to discuss the issue with reporters after Monday's game.
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