Alex Rodriguez's return to Major League Baseball won't come with his 15th All-Star appearance.
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Rodriguez, who said he was hoping to be an All-Star last week, was left off the roster and the final vote ballot, leading to American League manager and Kansas City Royals skipper Ned Yost explaining the snub on Monday.
"We talked a lot about Alex Rodriguez," Yost said, according to the Associated Press. "I just felt very strongly [that] if we could get another infielder or another outfielder out of that five-man vote, it would help us."
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The MLB revealed the starters for both leagues on Sunday and followed it up by naming the reserves, pitchers and final vote candidates on Monday. Rodriguez was notably absent.
The 86th annual MLB All-Star Game takes place live from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati next Tuesday.
Rodriguez, who turns 40 later this month, entered the 2015 season after missing all of last year due to his suspension for his connection to the Biogenesis clinic and performance-enhancing drugs.
Despite the season-long suspension and having undergone two major hip injuries, the slugger is having a fantastic season in the Bronx.
Rodriguez released a statement after he wasn't selected, taking a team-first attitude toward the news.
"As I've said all season, my No. 1 goal is helping the Yankees win a championship," Rodriguez said, according to ESPN. "I'm excited that we're in a good position to get there. Of course, it would have been an honor to represent the American League next week, but I'll have fun cheering on the guys who were put on the team and watching them protect home field."
Despite his omission from the Midsummer Classic, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner heaped praise on Rodriguez.
"I think it's one of the greatest comeback years any player has ever had," Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner said Monday. "It's an amazing year. The bad hips, all the other stuff, the more than a year off at his age. To come back and do what he's done is pretty amazing."
Rodriguez has been very productive this season and is one of the big reasons why the Yankees (44-38) are in first place in the admittedly mediocre, but still competitive AL East.
With one week to go until the All-Star Game, the Bronx Bombers own a 1.5-game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays (43-40) in a very tight division race where six games separate first from last.
Rodriguez owns a .284/.390/.513 with 16 homers and 47 RBI, but he will not be taking the trip to Cincinnati.
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