Chicago ? Roger Clemens replaced Barry Zito on the American League All-Star roster Monday, with the commissioner’s office saying the Oakland left-hander was unable to pitch.

That was news to Zito, who said he found out he was off the roster while sitting with his All-Star teammates in a hotel ballroom, giving interviews.

“If I had some black-and-white explanation, it would make more sense,” Zito said.

During the A’s 1-0 win Sunday at Baltimore, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner threw 106 pitches, getting a no-decision, allowing four hits in eight innings.

Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner’s office, said Oakland manager Ken Macha and pitching coach Rick Peterson made the decision, and that A’s general manager Billy Beane also was involved.

“Barry was informed of that opinion, and acquiesced,” Alderson said. “That was information relayed to us, and we acted on that information.”

Zito had been in an AL meeting before the session with reporters and said nothing was mentioned to him.

“It has nothing to do with me or my physical situation,” he said. “I don’t know if they didn’t feel comfortable with me pitching on one days’ rest.”

Zito thought he could have pitched an inning during tonight’s game. In last year’s All-Star game, Zito replaced Mark Buehrle to start the sixth, retired Shawn Green on a groundout, then was replaced by Eddie Guardado.

Oakland pitcher Barry Zito listens to questions about being replaced on the American League All-Star roster. Zito found out Monday while giving interviews in Chicago that he was replaced by New York's Roger Clemens for tonight's game.

“I could have given them more than the one batter I had last year,” Zito said.

Beane, reached at his home in California, said Zito was told Sunday by Macha.

“The best interests of Barry’s health and the Oakland A’s going forward were better served by having Barry not throw in the game after his performance yesterday,” Beane said Monday.

Macha, reached on his cell phone, said he and Peterson spoke with Zito after Sunday’s game. The presence of A’s teammates Mark Mulder and Keith Foulke on the AL roster factored into the equation.

“We told him that it was prudent he didn’t pitch,” Macha said, “and that the A’s were going to have Mulder available for two innings and Foulke available for one. That was three innings from our pitching staff, and that was sufficient.”

Clemens ties for seventh-most selections among pitchers, behind Warren Spahn (17), Tom Seaver (12) and Steve Carlton, Don Drysdale, Whitey Ford and Juan Marichal (10 each).

Many New York Yankees thought Clemens should have been among the original picks for the AL All-Stars.

The only six-time Cy Young Award winner, Clemens plans to retire after this season, his 20th in the major leagues. The 40-year-old right-hander was bypassed in player voting and wasn’t selected by AL manager Mike Scioscia.

Clemens traveled from the Yankees’ game in Toronto back home to Houston Sunday night. He wasn’t told he was being added until Monday.