MLB

Yankees’ Kuroda still not a ‘Star’

Hiroki Kuroda was not among three replacement American League pitchers named to the All-Star team yesterday, so the Yankees’ righty likely will not be heading to Citi Field for his first Midsummer Classic.

The 38-year-old Kuroda is having a terrific season, posting an 8-6 record, but more impressively a 2.65 ERA, which ranks second in the AL behind Seattle’s Felix Hernandez. This is Kuroda’s sixth season in the majors (his first four were with the Dodgers), and he has never made an All-Star team.

AL manager Jim Leyland named Baltimore starter Chris Tillman (11-3, 3.95 ERA) to replace Detroit’s Justin Verlander since the Tigers ace pitched yesterday. Also, Leyland and MLB picked two closers — Oakland’s Grant Balfour and Kansas City’s Greg Holland — to replace Oakland starter Bartolo Colon and Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma, who both pitched yesterday.

On Thursday, Leyland also named Tampa Bay starter Matt Moore (13-3, 3.44 ERA) to replace injured Texas starter Yu Darvish.

Kuroda last started on Friday, so he would be eligible to pitch tomorrow. He has thrown 12 scoreless innings over his last two starts.

* The Yankees’ rotation to begin the second half is set for at least the first three games.

Andy Pettitte will open on Friday at Fenway Park against the Red Sox, with Kuroda going Saturday afternoon and CC Sabathia Sunday night.

That means Ivan Nova will be pitching on at least 11 days’ rest, and that’s if Nova starts the fourth game of the second half on July 22 against Texas.

* Manager Joe Girardi on Derek Jeter’s strained right quadriceps: “We’ll evaluate him on Thursday … probably the best thing to do. It’s way too early to decide what we’re going to do as we move forward.”

* Travis Ishikawa chose to become a free agent rather than go to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. … David Phelps (strained forearm) is heading to Tampa and potentially could begin throwing this week.

* Girardi rested Brett Gardner, who has played in 93 of the Yankees’ 95 games (only Robinson Cano has played in more, having played in all 95). Said Girardi of Gardner: “He’s a little beat up.”

* In his 2,000th career game in the majors yesterday, Ichiro Suzuki racked up three hits, including a solo homer. Suzuki’s 2,696 hits in the majors are the sixth most ever through 2,000 games for players who have entered the majors since 1900, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Ahead of him are only Ty Cobb, George Sisler, Al Simmons, Rogers Hornsby and Paul Waner.