Ryan Braun an All Star again: Brewers outfielder replaces Matt Holliday on NL roster

Francisco Rodriguez won't be the only Brewers player in the All Star game after all. Outfielder Ryan Braun has officially been named the replacement for Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday on the National League roster. Holliday had been elected a starter but will miss the game due to a right quadriceps strain.

This will be the sixth All Star roster Braun has been a part of, and his first since 2012 when he led the league in OPS and finished second in MVP voting. Since then, it's been an eventful few years for Braun. A nerve-damaged thumb saw his production drop to career-low levels in 2013 and 2014 while a 65-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs contributed to a tarnished reputation around the league.

However, cryotherapy procedures in the off-season and a few weeks ago have gotten a 31-year-old Braun back to an All Star level. Overall, he has hit .272/.338/.485 with 15 homers in 84 games. That is, of course, a far cry from his MVP-caliber numbers of the past, but is still good enough to be the eight-best wOBA among NL outfielders. Interestingly enough, fellow Brewer Gerardo Parra has the 5th-best wOBA among National League outfielders this year.

Well Ryan Braun is unlikely to ever be as good a player as he once was, this season has shown he can still put up All Star numbers. Now, he's officially an All Star again.