July 17, 2022

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano has been named to the American League All-Star team.

The Markham, Ont., native will replace Justin Verlander on the AL squad. Verlander pitched on Saturday, so he won’t be available to pitch in the All-Star Game on Tuesday.

Romano, who becomes the first Canadian pitcher to represent the Blue Jays in the All-Star Game since Paul Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) in 2001, was told he was headed to the Midsummer Classic in the Blue Jays clubhouse prior to today’s game. It was Romano’s bullpen pal Tim Mayza who delivered the news.

Romano promptly went out and recorded his AL leading 20th save of the season to preserve the Blue Jays’ 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon. The Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum owns a 3-2 record and a 2.65 ERA in 35 appearances this season. He has struck out 39 batters in 34 innings.

Originally selected in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Blue Jays in 2014, the 29-year-old Markham, Ont., native is now in his fourth major league season.

He is the fifth player born in Canada to represent the Blue Jays in the All-Star Game. The others are Quantrill (2001), Russell Martin (Montreal, Que., 2015) and Michael Saunders (Victoria, B.C., 2016) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, 2020-21).

According to Sportsnet Stats, Romano could become the first Canadian to pitch for the American League squad in the All-Star Game since Quantrill in 2001.

Six Blue Jays players have now been named to the AL All-Star roster. Romano joins Guerrero Jr., George Springer (who will not play), Alek Manoah, Santiago Espinal and Alejandro Kirk.