The write-in initiative didn't work. The Final Vote went to the St. Louis Cardinals' third baseman David Freese. Ian Desmond took himself out of the game with a sore oblique, but it was Atlanta Braves' outfielder Michael Bourn who was picked to fill the Nats' shortstop's spot on the National League roster. But just when it looked like the Washington Nationals' 19-year-old outfielder Bryce Harper had run out of opportunities to make it onto the NL roster, Miami Marlins' right fielder Giancarlo Stanton was pulled from the game with a knee injury that will require surgery and keep him out of action for at least the next month. After that announcement came the official word from Major League Baseball via the Washington Nationals' official Twitter (@NationalsPR):

MLB has announced that #Nationals OF Bryce Harper has been named to the 2012 National League All-Star team, replacing Giancarlo Stanton.

— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) July 7, 2012

A follow-up Tweet from the Nationals reported that, "With his selection, Harper becomes the 3rd youngest Major League All-Star ever and the youngest All-Star position player in history." The 2010 no.1 overall pick will join fellow Nats Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez in Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium for the 2012 edition of the mid-summer classic. Harper entered play today with a .283/.357/.479 line, 15 doubles, four triples, eight home runs and eight stolen bases in 61 games and 269 plate appearances. Harper went 1 for 4 with a run scored in this afternoon's 4-1 win over Colorado, after which his manager (who'd expressed relief that Harper could rest when it looked like he wouldn't go) told reporters his outfielder deserved to be in the game:

"I don't look at him as being young, I look at the talent," - Davey on Harper's selection to 2012 #ASG. Youngest-ever position player

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 7, 2012