How Nats reacted to Gray's All-Star nod

This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Nationals celebrated Josiah Gray’s first All-Star selection when manager Dave Martinez announced the recognition on Sunday. The right-hander leads the Nats’ starting rotation in ERA, wins, WHIP and opponents’ batting average. Gray’s teammates and Martinez shared their reactions to Gray becoming an All-Star.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: July 11 on FOX

Martinez: “We talk about Josiah all the time and what he’s done, how much he’s matured and where he’s at. But this is big for one of your young players. [I’m] proud of him. He’s learning a lot of stuff, he’s getting better. Every time he’s out there, he gets better. He’s understanding what he needs to do to be successful. To make an All-Star team, your first one, it’s awesome.”

C Keibert Ruiz: “I was really happy. I know how hard he works. We both came from the Dodgers and got traded together. It obviously made me super happy for him and his family.”

RHP Jordan Weems: “It’s Josiah, he’s one of the hardest working guys you’ll ever be around. He’s well deserving of it. I always joke around with him, telling him he’s a dog and that he’s the guy. We kind of go back and forth every now and then, he’s like, ‘Oh dude, you’re a dog,’ and I’ll just tell him he’s a dog. I was congratulating him and basically confirming that he is the dog. It was just a good moment and I wanted to let him know that I was really, really happy for him.”

2B Luis García: “I’m so happy for him. He’s pitched very good this year and he fights every day. Every game he pitches, he gives it everything he’s got.”

C Riley Adams: “It’s really exciting. He’s put in a lot of work. He came into Spring Training this year with some changes, including a cutter. I think you can see the product of that hard work. It’s exciting for him, we’re all happy for him. He’s had a really good year.”

RHP Kyle Finnegan: “It couldn’t happen to a better guy, a better teammate. He’s worked his butt off all year long. He does everything that an All-Star player should do and he goes out there and he competes. That’s what we love about him. Every time he takes the ball, we have a chance to win the game. I don’t think we would have the wins that we do without him. Every time he takes the ball, we feel like that’s a day that we could get a win, and that’s what an All-Star means to your team.”