The New York Yankees have a lot of representatives at the MLB All-Star Game. Aaron Judge is starting in right, Jazz Chisholm Jr is participating in the Home Run Derby, and Aaron Boone is the manager. With Max Fried originally announced to the team, and considering his past as an Atlanta Brave, he seemed like a candidate to start. But Tigers ace Tarik Skubal got the nod, only after getting a call from Fried. Both lefties explained the call. 

Tarik Skubal said he recently got a call from Yankees starter Max Fried,” Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reported. “‘He asked me if I wanted to start (the ASG).' Skubal deferred to Fried, especially since Fried had pitched for eight seasons in Atlanta. But Fried was insistent: ‘I think you deserve it. I was just wondering if you wanted to start it.' Skubal acknowledged that he did. A day later, he got a call from Aaron Boone.

“It was actually a really cool conversation (with Fried). It’s a very professional thing to do, and I've got a ton of respect for guys that do stuff like that,” Skubal said.

Fried was asked about the conversation after the Yankees' loss to the Cubs on Sunday. “From my end, I felt like if he wanted to start the game, he deserved to do it and was full support. Just out of respect for everyone in the situation, especially people that would replace me…to be able to let everyone know that I wasn't going to be available.”

Fried pitched on Saturday, making him ineligible for the All-Star Game as a pitcher. He left the game with a blister after three innings. The Yankees' ace could have started the game in his former stadium, but deferred to Skubal, who took the opportunity.

Skubal pitched a scoreless second inning last year after Corbin Burnes started the game for the American League.

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