The Nationals will need to call up a spot starter for Tuesday's game against the Cubs, and Ross Detwiler is the likely choice.Manager Davey Johnson acknowledged the club will promote someone from its farm system instead of asking left-hander Tom Gorzelanny to return on short rest. He wouldn't reveal the name of the soon-to-be promoted starter but said Detwiler "most definitely" is a candidate.
The Nationals need to make this move because of today's doubleheader against the Pirates, with Livan Hernandez and John Lannan each scheduled to pitch. They can make it through this turn of the rotation without any reinforcements, but face a dilemma for Tuesday's game.
Johnson said he wouldn't bring back a current starter on short rest.
"It's too early in the season to be bringing back guys on three days' rest," he said. "It really falls back on Gorzelanny. And he's had some tenderness [in his elbow] earlier this season, so we definitely won't bring him back on three days' rest."
Strong evidence Detwiler will get the call: He pitched two innings on Thursday for Class AAA Syracuse on short rest, a move that lines him up perfectly to start Tuesday on regular rest.
The 25-year-old lefty (the Nationals' first-round pick in the 2007 draft) is 6-6 with a 4.53 ERA in 16 starts at Syracuse, but he's shown improvement in recent weeks. Over his last six outings, he's 3-1 with a 2.46 ERA.
Though fellow lefty Tom Milone has better overall numbers (6-5, 3.51, 95-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio), Johnson indicated the 24-year-old isn't ready for big-league action quite yet.
"I like him, too," the manager said. "But I think Det's a little ahead of him. I also think he's on the [40-man] roster and the other guy isn't."
8 comments:
A bit of a phony comment from Johnson, Milone is way ahead of Detwiler but he's not on the 40 man. That's the only reason.
Mark L, have you given any thought as to which player would get taken off the 40 man to make room for Milone? To me, it's Severino or Mock. I know people InThe Know rave about Mock, but say he is just inconsistent. Mil one is looking like he gets it, by the stats. I'd swap him in and Mock out.
Jane B, great point. Mock's rap for years is he has a million dollar arm and a 10 cent head. In warmups before the game he apparently is awesome. He got shelled at AA recently, so your point is good.
Milone's a soft tosser, so he gets no respect, just the smartest guy on the field and never walks anybody.
mock is still on the 40 man? what a waste of a spot. we should unconditionally release him. and add milone or peacock. then trade desmond and bring up lombardozzi.
... what david said.
I'd like to know if Lombardozzi can hit major league pitching before we get rid of Desmond.
There actually is an open spot on the 40-man because LaRoche is on the 15-day DL. They can easily move him to the 60-day to clear a spot. The issue is they'd have to purchase Milone's contract.
Well the guy is not bad at all, but when he doesn't want to play he became a pain in the ass for all the team, we already saw him in some other matches acting like a kid with bad behavior.
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