WASHINGTON - Washington Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young was chosen as Major League Baseball's NL comeback player of the year Tuesday after setting aside professional, legal and substance abuse problems to become an All-Star.

Washington Nationals' Dmitri Young, left, is greeted at the plate by Ryan Zimmerman (11) after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, in this Aug. 20, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Young won the award after finishing tied for eighth in the NL in batting with a career-high .320 average. He had 13 home runs and 74 RBIs.

Young had not finished a season at .300 or higher since hitting .302 with 21 homers and 69 RBIs for the Cincinnati Reds in 2001. He batted .250 with seven homers and 23 RBIs in 48 games with the Detroit Tigers in 2006.

Young was out of baseball altogether at the end of last season when he was released by the Tigers with less than a month left in the regular season. It was just one part of Young's troublesome year, which included an assault charge, treatment for alcoholism, a divorce and hospitalization for diabetes.

Young got a second chance in February when he agreed to a non-guaranteed, minor league contract with Washington.

Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays was the AL winner. The winners were selected by reporters for MLB.com.