Strasburg, Gonzalez, Desmond named to 2012 NL All-Star team, Harper in Final Vote

ATLANTA -- Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson strolled around the clubhouse Sunday morning, a smile plastered to his face, handing out good news to three of his best players this season.

Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Ian Desmond wil represent the Nationals at the 2012 All-Star Game July 10 in Kansas City, and the team could have a fourth with rookie phenom Bryce Harper selected for the Final Vote contest.

The Nationals have never had more than two All-Stars in a season, more often than not only getting the requisite one sent to the mid-summer classic. But as the first-place team in the National League East and the owners of the best record in the NL, they were deserving of more this season.

"Obviously when you get more than one guy, get Desi and Gio in there, too it's huge," Strasburg said. "It means that we're winning."

Strasburg and Gonzalez were all but shoo-ins for the team given their impressive first halves atop the Nationals' rotation. Strasburg, less than two years removed from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, is 9-3 with a 2.81 ERA. He is on a well-documented  innings limit this season but the Nationals have said that if selected and on schedule to pitch, he would be allowed to throw in the All-Star game.

Gonzalez, an All-Star for the second straight season, is 10-3 with a 2.78 mark entering his start on Sunday against the Braves and the Nationals are 24-7 in games started by the two of them.

"It's going to be a tremendous experience and it's a huge honor for me," Strasburg said, feeling much better one day after requiring three IVs of saline solution due to dehydration in Atlanta. "It's amazing to think where I was a year ago. It's great to see the hard work has all paid off, but it's not done. It's only the halfway point in the year and we've still got a long ways to go.

"I'm excited to be a part of (the All-Star Game) but at the same time I want to help this team get to a World Series someday and get to the playoffs year-in and year-out." 

While the Nationals' pitchers were somewhat expected, Desmond -- putting together easily the finest season of his career and one of the finest seasons of any shortstop in the major leagues -- was a deserving candidate, if not a sure thing.

Desmond entered Sunday's game hitting .276 with a .483 slugging percentage. He leads all major league shortstops with 38 extra-base hits, leads the Nationals in doubles (23) and is second on the team in home runs with 13, behind only first baseman Adam LaRoche.

Harper, the Nationals' electrifying 19-year-old, will find out over the course of the next five days whether he will be joining his teammates. With a .274 average, .347 on-base percentage and 24 extra-base hits, including eight home runs, Harper is on the rookie league leader board in every offensive category.

Entering Sunday, Harper leads National League rookies in triples (4), is second in home runs (8), stolen bases (8), walks (24), extra-base hits (24), total bases (104), and multi-hit games (19). He's third in on-base percentage (.347) and runs scored (36), fourth in RBIs (22) and slugging percentage (.475), and fifth in overall batting average (.274). 

Harper will be up against four other National League players: Michael Bourn, Chipper Jones, David Freese and Aaron Hill in the Final Vote, which fans can vote for at MLB.com until Thursday, July 5. Jones, 40, who likely presents the greatest challenge to Harper in the vote, is retiring after the 2012 season. 

Here are the full NL and AL rosters:

2012 NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STAR ROSTER

Bold = Fan-Elected Starter                                   Manager Tony La Russa

^ = Player Ballot-Elected                                                                   Terry Collins, NYM

* = Choice of Manager/MLB                                                                  Ron Roenicke, MIL

N.L. Candidates, 2012 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote

• OF  MICHAEL  BOURN,  BRAVES
• 3B  DAVID  FREESE,  CARDINALS
• OF  BRYCE  HARPER,  NATIONALS
• 2B  AARON  HILL,  DIAMONDBACKS
• 3B  CHIPPER  JONES,  BRAVES

2012 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR ROSTER

Bold = Fan-Elected Starter                      Manager Ron Washington, TEX

^ = Player Ballot-Elected                                                                          Bob Melvin, OAK

* = Choice of Manager/MLB                                                                             Ned Yost, KC

A.L. Candidates, 2012 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote 

• RHP  JONATHAN  BROXTON,  ROYALS
• RHP  YU  DARVISH,  RANGERS
• RHP  ERNESTO  FRIERI,  ANGELS
• RHP  JASON  HAMMEL,  ORIOLES
• RHP  JAKE  PEAVY,  WHITE SOX