DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Starter Michael Lorenzen is a surprise pick for the 2023 All-Star game in Denver but the relief pitcher will represent the Tigers on July 11. It is his first All-Star selection in his first year with the Tigers.

“He had all the coaches in there and kind of tried to hide it. He (manager A.J. Hinch) was going to break the news, but the way he was saying it, I was like ‘Did I get traded or something? I think I got traded.’ But then he was telling me when I was going to start and I was like, ‘Why did I get traded if he’s telling me when I’m going to start?’,” commented Lorenzen.

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Hinch had called Lorenzen into his office on Sunday morning to talk to him with the entire staff. Lorenzen adds, “I’m like, ‘This is fishy, but there’s no way that I made the All-Star Game. There’s absolutely no way.’ And then he told me that I did, and I kind of broke down.”

Lorenzen came to Detroit in December as a free agent after a year in Los Angeles with the Angels and seven years with the Reds. He had a 31-29 record before this year and is now 33-35 overall going 2-6 this year at Detroit. He has 14 career saves and 553 strikeouts. He has posted 85 strikeouts in a season, twice, and has a chance to surpass that this year with 62 strikeouts already.

He is the first starting pitcher to be selected for Detroit since 2017 when Michael Fulmer made it. Another honor for Lorenzen is he is also the first player in his first year at Detroit to be selected since 2009 when Jhonny Peralta made the All-Star team in his first year.

Lorenzen is 2-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 11 starts with his best outing vs. the White Sox on June 3 going seven innings allowing jus on run on two hits with six strikeouts. The All-Star game is on July 11 in Denver.