Major League Baseball announced that Los Angeles Dodgers starter Tyler Anderson has been added to the National League All-Star team as a replacement for San Francisco Giants lefty Carlos Rodónn.
This marks the first career All-Star nomination for Anderson, who is well-deserving in the midst of a breakout seasons with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers signed Anderson to a one-year contract last offseason hoping he could be an innings eater for them whether as a starter or out of the bullpen.
The southpaw has been much better than that, ending the first half with a 10-1 record to go along with a 2.96 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.01 WHIP and 81 strikeouts and 17 walks in 97.1 innings.
Anderson becomes the fifth Dodgers player to make the roster along with Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin.
While five All-Star selections is a lot, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently expressed a desire for more considering the game will be played at Dodger Stadium.
“I’m hoping for seven,” Roberts said. “I could get on my soapbox and have a case for each one of them and I think it would be valid. Maybe a little bias, but I really feel it’s an unbias kind of stating facts. I think seven guys deserve an opportunity to represent the Dodgers.”
It’s hard to argue with Roberts considering Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and even Julio Urias and Evan Phillips are all having All-Star caliber seasons. With more guys likely to bow out of the game in the coming days, it’s possible that more Dodgers players get added.
Kershaw excited to potentially start in All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium
Kershaw capped off his first half in a big way by taking a perfect game into the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
That performance just goes to show how deserving he is of being an All-Star for the ninth time and he expressed excitement to be in the game.
“I’m excited. It’s really special,” Kershaw said. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, just because of everything that had happened during the season and things like that. I am really excited to be part of it. I’m excited for my family to get to do it at Dodger Stadium, and get to see it.
“My kids are older now, so they get to experience that a little bit. Personally, I’m excited too. It’s been a couple years since I’ve gotten to be in an All-Star Game. It’s at Dodger Stadium, which is special. I don’t take that for granted. Like I said before, I hope I didn’t take anybody’s spot that was more deserving than me, but now that it’s official and I get to do it, I am very excited about it.”
Kershaw is in the mix to start the game along with Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara and others. The Dodgers star is as humble as they come but admitted that he would be honored to start the Midsummer Classic for the first time.
“Sure. Yeah, if it happens. But I’m good with whatever. Obviously it would be a huge honor to get to do it.”
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