On July 10, the atmosphere in the visitors’ clubhouse at Camden Yards felt heavy. The New York Mets lost their first game of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles 3-1. But starting pitcher David Peterson performed wonderfully, even in the loss. He spun seven-plus masterful innings, allowing just one run on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

Then, in the quiet moments before the second game, manager Carlos Mendoza had a chat with his pitcher. And that transformed the mood of the day completely.

Peterson, who had consciously pushed any All-Star hopes out of his mind, was shocked. He shared his feelings with SNY, where he admitted he was “a little shocked.” He explained, “Obviously, excitement, emotion. Um, but a little shocked, to be honest.” Peterson pointed out that he had spotted other replacements who had already been named. “You know, I’d kind of saw some of the guys get replaced whatnot, and, you know, figured, put it out of my head and let the game control it… so yeah, I got a little caught off guard when they called me in.”

The 29-year-old southpaw was added to the National League roster as a replacement, and he will further join Mets players Francisco Lindor (starter), Pete Alonso, and Edwin Diaz on the NL squad. He replaced San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray. Former Cy Young winner Ray is scheduled to pitch the Sunday before the game, thus making him ineligible. Ray’s 2025 season has been stellar so far, posting a 9-3 record with a 2.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts.

But Peterson earned his place with a breakout first half, going 6-4 with a 3.06 ERA and 93 strikeouts over 108 innings. His best first half among his 6 MLB seasons. So, even though ignored at first, he has finally made it through.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was very pleased as he spoke about the honor. He immediately brought up Peterson’s way out of injury. “I’m proud of him,” Mendoza mentioned. “Especially last year what he went through with the injury and how far he’s come — he’s a huge part of this team, of that rotation. For him to get rewarded, it’s pretty special.”

Mendoza’s words are exactly what present Peterson’s award as not a surprise, but the end of a very long, tough road.

From the operating table to the All-Star team: The journey of David Peterson

Starting from his debut in 2020, Peterson performed moderately well. But in the years that followed, he struggled with his ERA, which peaked at 5.54 in 2021 and 5.03 in 2023. Looking at the first four seasons of his career, Peterson achieved a league-adjusted ERA+ of merely 90, which brings forth an undersized MLB pitcher.

Peterson’s performance can certainly be categorized as useful, but far from any star potential. Even during the period mentioned above, the chances of him being voted to the All-Star team were non-existent.

The turning point came in November 2023, when Peterson had major hip surgery to repair the torn labrum. That effectively rewired the foundation of his delivery. He returned in May 2024 as a different pitcher. From that day until he became an All-Star, he had a brilliant 2.97 ERA, the 12th lowest for all pitchers in the major leagues. The former statistical below-average was suddenly hanging around with the best arms in baseball.

Now, Peterson, of course, isn’t the only one to get a late call to Atlanta. Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is also a Sunday starter, was replaced by Cincinnati Reds lefty Andrew Abbott. Abbott earned his first nod with a stellar 8-1 record and a 2.07 ERA. In Milwaukee, closer Trevor Megill (2.41 ERA, 21 saves) also replaced his own teammate, starter Freddy Peralta, due to the same scheduling conflict. And in the American League, Twins righty Joe Ryan (8-4, 2.76 ERA) replaced Houston’s Hunter Brown.

Several injured position players were on the replacement list as well. Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero (.503 SLG) filled in at third for Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman, who has a strained quad. Detroit utility infielder Zach McKinstry (.826 OPS) took over for Houston shortstop Jeremy Peña, who broke a rib.

These are just a few examples that highlight the demanding nature of a long season. They also allow worthy players like Peterson to have their moment in the spotlight. Now, with just four days away from the All-Star Game, we cannot wait to see some baseball excellence in Atlanta. Excited?