Cam Schlittler passed on pitching in the All-Star Game. His reason says a lot about the Yankees.

Cam Schlittler has a 2.05 ERA, 137 strikeouts over 20 starts, and his first All-Star nod. But he won’t throw a pitch in Tuesday’s game. The decision was his, and it came down to one thing: the second half.

Schlittler told reporters on Sunday that he knew he wasn’t going to pitch before he even heard that Blue Jays’ Dylan Cease would start for the American League. “I found that out after,” Schlittler said, via Brendan Kuty. “I walked in today and I had a conversation with Boone. I think he was confident that I wanted to throw in it, and that kind of was the game plan. But I just kind of leaned away from it. I mean, congrats to Dylan. He’s been great this year. He deserves that. That’s really it. That decision had nothing to do with my decision.”

The timing of the two decisions is worth noting. Schlittler opting out had nothing to do with Cease getting the starting nod. It was entirely about workload and recovery.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Schlittler’s All-Star decision

Boone backed his pitcher fully. He explained that the 25-year-old righty felt uneasy about going max effort on what would normally be a recovery day. “He just feels like on his recovery day, to go back out there throwing 100 mph is something that I think he felt a little apprehensive about,” Boone said. “I certainly support that decision, and obviously I think he understands what’s at stake here in the second half, too, for us and for him. I’m certainly supportive of his decision.”

That “what’s at stake” part is key. The Yankees are in a division race, and Schlittler is arguably their most reliable starter not named Gerrit Cole. Pitching in an exhibition game — even one with real prestige — didn’t make sense for him or the team. Schlittler admitted he had been “leaning towards pitching” in recent weeks but ultimately decided his “priorities” were with New York.

He did leave a tiny crack open, saying he’ll throw if the Yankees “need” him to. But both sides made it clear that’s not happening.

So Schlittler will be in uniform, he’ll get the experience, and he’ll probably enjoy watching Cease and the other AL arms do the work. Then he’ll get back to business. The Yankees need him sharp down the stretch, not gassed after a mid-July bullpen session.

That’s the kind of thing a young player says when he gets it. And right now, Schlittler gets it.