Kershaw an N.L. All-Star despite .500 record

Clayton Kershaw is going to the All-Star Game in Cincinnati despite a .500 record in the first half for the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

The current National League MVP and Cy Young Award winner wasn’t elected by his peers and he finished third in the fan vote, but that didn’t bother him.

“I have no pride in how I get there,” he said Sunday. “I don’t care if I was the bat boy. It’s a special time. No one will remember that you were the replacement.”

He had a feeling he would make the roster because Washington’s

Max Scherzer started for the Nationals on Sunday and decided not to be active for Tuesday’s game.

Kershaw is 6-6 but has a 2.85 ERA. He is an All-Star for the fifth straight year.

“He’s had a good half. You start there, but you look at also who Clayton is and his success and the star factor,” said San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy, who will guide the NL team. “Another great arm to help us.”

Kershaw got back to .500 with an eight-hit shutout in a 5-0 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday, his last start before the break. The lefthander struck out a season-high 13 while snapping a five-start winless streak. “It has been frustrating at times,” he said. “People have high expectations for me and that’s good. I expect a lot out of myself, which helps me. I wasn’t very good for a while there.”

Kershaw and teammates Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez, Yasmani Grandal and rookie Joc Pederson were presented with their All-Star jerseys on the field before the game against Milwaukee, which the Dodgers won, 4-3. Marlins second baseman

Dee Gordon, who dislocated his right thumb Saturday, will miss the All-Star Game and will likely sit out the Marlins’ first series following the break, but he might avoid the disabled list, Marlins president of baseball operations

Michael Hill said Sunday. Gordon, who said he’ll attend the All-Star Game as a spectator, was hurt Saturday when he slid headfirst to beat out an infield single against Cincinnati. There’s some swelling in his thumb, but because he has some motion in it, an MRI was deemed unnecessary, Hill said.