Rendon missing All-Star Game due to hamstring/quad issue

Anthony Rendon will have the All-Star designation by his name for the 2019 season, but he will not play in the game or participate in activities at the Midsummer Classic in Cleveland next week because of a left hamstring/quad injury.

Major League Baseball announced Friday that the Dodgers' Max Muncy will replace Rendon on the National League All-Star team.

Rendon has been dealing with the left quad and hamstring injury for a few weeks. He has decided that rest and rehab here in D.C. would help him be better prepared for the second part of the season, which starts a week from Friday.

Manager Davey Martinez said Nationals personnel sat down with Rendon before the game to recommend he not play in the All-Star Game.

"We talked to him before the game," Martinez said. "His left hamstring, his left quad is super, super tight. He's been playing through it. It was an organizational decision. We talked this out with him. He asked what we think and we told him, 'I think rest would be good for you, I really do.' "

Rendon said the meeting made him understand the importance of resting for those four days off before the club reconvenes to take on the Phillies starting July 12.

"He's been playing with it for a couple weeks, and he agreed," Martinez said. "It stinks, but he was very adamant about wanting to be ready to play after the All-Star break for us. I think that's a really great decision. I really do. I think he's thinking about the team and the organization."

"We were just talking about how I've been feeling the last few weeks," Rendon said of the pregame meeting. "Just trying to figure out a game plan for the next four days, if they want to let me go to Cleveland or if it was more beneficial for me to stay back and kind of get treatment for those four days.

"I'm going to stay here in town, so I'm not going back to Houston, which is probably what you guys anticipated. I'll be staying here and I'll be getting some treatment for the next four days, or when it starts."

Rendon said the left quad and hamstring tightness first flared up way during the Cincinnati series from May 31-June 2 at Great American Ball Park.

"I've been playing with it for the last two, three weeks," Rendon said. "So it's no concern. I know how to ease up, and I've played through injuries before. It's nothing significant, but be smart about it because we still have the whole next half of the season to worry about."

Rendon said the injury is not bad enough to have him placed on the injured list. But instead of going back to his hometown, he's going to stay with the Nationals training staff in D.C. to work on rehabbing his quad and hamstring through the break.

"It's definitely feeling better," Rendon said. "I mean, I can't lie about that. But it's definitely not over that hump, per se. And I know if I had these next four days, it would kind of get me there and I'd be running to first base. Put it that way. And I'd be running from first to home, and kind of being the player that I need to be."

Rendon said the goal is have his hamstring and quad feel better than it does now. Despite the soreness, the started yesterday's 11 a.m. game and then again Friday night, playing eight innings before being switched out for Adrián Sanchez in the top of the ninth. Rendon ended up going 0-for-5 and left five men on base.

"It may not be 100 percent - we always say that you're only 100 percent in spring training and it's just downhill from there," Rendon said. "We're just trying to get back to kind of even, I guess you could say, trying to feel good and trying to be a threat on both sides of the ball, and that includes running the bases as well."

Rendon had teased the media a bit when the subject of the All-Star voting came up in late May and in June, saying he would rather go home for the break instead of Cleveland, even if he was voted into the All-Star Game.

"It's kind of ironic, because I always joke with you guys, saying I don't want to go, and just kind of give you guys a hard time," he said. "But I am honored to be able to be chosen, especially being a player vote, that my peers have that respect for me and I appreciate it a lot."

But the Nationals are 45-42 and back in the thick of the division race. He said this week that making the playoffs is the more important goal for him and the club.

"Since the (All-Star) Game really doesn't mean too much at the moment, except for personal reasons, we have bigger fish to fry here in D.C.," Rendon said. "So we're trying to get everyone healthy and I'm a part of that as well, so I want to be a big threat for the second half."