Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw may be the reigning National League Cy Young and MVP Award winner, but he isn't guaranteed an All-Star slot in 2015.
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The southpaw wasn't announced as one of the pitchers selected to the All-Star Game on Monday's roster reveal show, but he was picked as one of five NL players to appear on the Final Vote ballot.
The fans will vote either Kershaw, Cincinnati Reds ace Johnny Cueto, New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia, St. Louis Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez or Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to the game next Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
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Kershaw, 27, said he'd like to be a part of the game for the fifth time in his career.
"You always want to go," Kershaw said, according to ESPN. "You never know, it might not ever happen again. I said that last year, and, if I make it this year, I'll say it again."
After a rough start to the season, Kershaw has settled into a 5-6 record with a 3.08 ERA. Perhaps the biggest reason to push him to the game is the fact that he has an MLB-leading 147 strikeouts and 11.6 whiffs per nine innings.
Kershaw missed out on starting the last two All-Star Games, but now he's vying just to be selected.
If he were in San Francisco Giants manager and NL skipper Bruce Bochy's shoes, Kershaw said he'd pick his teammate Zack Greinke to start the game, but also admitted Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer is worth mentioning.
"I'm sure it's probably between him and Scherzer, and you can't go wrong either way, but I'm a little biased, probably," Kershaw said.
Greinke also said he believes his teammate belongs in the Midsummer Classic as well.
"I voted for him because his peripheral numbers are probably the best in the game," Greinke said. "You can't do much better than that."
Kershaw admitted that being in the Final Vote is a bit difficult because he has to wait to see if he has to plan a trip to Cincinnati, but he's hopeful to get the nod.
"I wasn't expecting it. It's probably harder on my wife figuring out, now that we have a little one, what we're going to do, but it's worth it if you make it," Kershaw said.
Kershaw has made it to the All-Star Game in four consecutive seasons from 2011-14, but now he'll rely on the fans vote to get him to Cincinnati.
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