Nationals' Max Scherzer Named Replacement for 2021 National League All-Star Team

Washington Nationals star Max Scherzer has been named as a replacement for the National League in the 2021 All-Star Game:

He was named as part of a group of replacements along with fellow starting pitchers Walker Buehler, Taijuan Walker and Freddy Peralta, per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic.

Not counting the shortened 2020 season that didn't have an All-Star game because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the eighth straight time Scherzer has earned an All-Star selection.

The openings were created after fellow NL pitchers Jacob deGrom, Yu Darvish, Kevin Gausman and Brandon Woodruff all dropped out after being selected as All-Stars, per Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.

Scherzer fell short of selection the first time around, but he is deserving overall with a 7-4 record, 2.66 ERA, 0.878 WHIP and 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The numbers were even better before giving up seven runs in 3.2 innings during his last start against the San Diego Padres.

It was his first time allowing more than two earned runs in a start since April.

The 36-year-old has also proved himself in the past with three Cy Young awards, finishing in the top five of voting in each year from 2013-19.

Washington has been up and down as a team this year, but the squad will be well-represented in Denver with Juan Soto, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber also selected as All-Stars.