Tyler Anderson named to National League All-Star team

Tyler Anderson signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Dodgers in March to provide starting depth. The veteran left-hander began the season in the bullpen, but currently leads the team in innings. On Saturday, Anderson, in his seventh big league season, was named to his first All-Star team.

Anderson was selected by MLB as a replacement for Giants starter Carlos Ródon, who won’t pitch in the game. Ródon was added as a replacement for Brewers reliever Josh Hader on Tuesday.

It’s been a wonderful season so far for Anderson, who has a 2.96 ERA, 3.11 xERA, and 3.33 FIP in his 17 games, including 15 starts. All three rate stats are career highs for Anderson, who also has a career-best 10 wins. He’s lasted at least six innings in 10 of his last 12 starts, including pitching six scoreless innings in Thursday’s win in St. Louis.

Among qualified National League pitchers, Anderson ranks 12th in ERA (2.96), 10th in xERA (3.11), 11th in FIP (3.33), and second in walk rate (4.4 percent).

Anderson is the fifth Dodgers player on the NL All-Star team at Dodger Stadium, the first time Los Angeles has hosted since 1980. Outfielder Mookie Betts and shortstop Trea Turner were voted by fans to start the game. The other three All-Stars are pitchers — Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, and Anderson. For Kershaw it’s his ninth All-Star nod, while this is the first trip to the midsummer classic for Gonsolin and Anderson.

The Dodgers are 26-6 (.813) in games started by Gonsolin and Anderson this season. In games started by everyone else, the team is 33-24 (.579), a perfectly respectable 94-win pace. But LA is no more than two games above .500 in games started by any other pitcher than Gonsolin and Anderson. What a year.

Heading into the season, It wouldn’t necessarily seem remarkable that the Dodgers have three starting pitchers on the National League All-Star team. But it would have been downright stunning that those three don’t include Walker Buehler or Julio Urías, who finished fourth and seventh in Cy Young voting last season.

The All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, with coverage on Fox beginning at 4:30 p.m., and Joe Davis on the call for his first midsummer classic.