Bartolo Colon named as Madison Bumgarner's All-Star replacement

NEW YORK -- New York Mets right-hander Bartolo Colon is an All-Star at age 43.

Colon was named to the squad Friday by National League manager Terry Collins as a replacement for Madison Bumgarner, who is unavailable because he will pitch Sunday for the San Francisco Giants.

Colon called the selection a surprise. He also revealed that he intends to pitch only one more season.

"It means a lot, especially for someone my age," Colon said through an interpreter. "It surprised me a lot. There's a lot of great ballplayers around the league, and I wasn't expecting this."

Colon joins Yoenis Cespedes, Noah Syndergaard and Jeurys Familia as the Mets' All-Star representatives. The Mets' contingent heading to this All-Star Game is the team's largest since 2009, when David Wright, Francisco Rodriguez, Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran represented the club.

Colon becomes the oldest All-Star since Mariano Rivera in 2013. If he gets to bat, which isn't likely, he would become the oldest player to hit in an All-Star Game since Carlton Fisk in 1991.

Colon said he has no interest in hitting in the game.

"No, no. I pray to God it doesn't happen," he said.

Colon returns to the scene of one of his greatest feats: San Diego's Petco Park. He became the oldest player in major league history to hit his first homer when he took James Shields deep there on May 7.

Colon is 7-4 with a 3.28 ERA in 18 appearances (17 starts) this season.