NEW YORK -- Alas, New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia is going to be spending time with month-old son Jeurys Jr. in the New York area during the All-Star break.
With Max Scherzer pitching Sunday for the Washington Nationals and withdrawing from competing in Tuesday's All-Star Game, the National League added an extra arm to its roster Sunday. However, NL manager Bruce Bochy picked Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, not Familia.
Familia enters the final day of the first half with a 2-0 record, 1.28 ERA, 0.898 WHIP and 26 saves in 28 chances.
"The thing I think that's most impressive is where he's come from in a year -- the huge strides he's made from a guy who we didn't know how we'd get him in the game to a guy we want in the game," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "That's a tribute to the fact that he's got command of his stuff, and he trusts his stuff now so much that he's not afraid to throw a breaking ball behind in the count if he needs to. All the things you want pitchers to be able to do, he's done it. And yet he still does it at 98 mph. It's been pretty impressive."
