Pedroia withdraws from All-Star Game to be with wife

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has withdrawn from Tuesday's All-Star Game to be with his wife who is in hospital, Major League Baseball announced on Sunday.

"I will instead stay in Boston with my wife as we tend to a serious family health matter," Pedroia said in a statement released by MLB and the Red Sox.

Pedroia's wife, Kelli, was taken to hospital on Monday after going into labor earlier than expected, baseball's official website (www.mlb.com) reported.

She had been expecting the couple's first child in late August and is expected to remain in hospital for the foreseeable future.

American League All-Star manager Joe Maddon selected Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Carlos Pena as Pedroia's replacement on the AL roster.

In National League All-Star changes, Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman will replace injured Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jonathan Broxton and Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Zach Duke will take the place of the San Francisco Giants' Matt Cain, who is also injured.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; editing by Dave Thompson)