Mike Amato is tied up at work this week, so Rob Blackstien fills in. Mike should return next week.
Brewers’ reliever Julio Santana was activated from the DL yesterday. He hasn’t pitched since August 9 because of tendinitis in his pitching elbow. Back in the majors this year for the first time since 2002, Santana needs just one more appearance to set a new career high with 39. He’s been an effective setup man for Milwaukee this year, recording nine holds and one save, and has held opposing hitters to under .220 (he’s been particularly nasty against righties, limited them to less than .195). Santana has also struck out 45 in 40.1 IP. So why the underwhelming 4.46 ERA? Control issues (19 walks) have been his Achilles’ heel. While Santana’s command has been better than ever this year, he still walks too many to ever get serious consideration for a more important bullpen role.
On Wednesday, Colorado put pitcher Zach Day on the 60-day DL. He got nailed by a line drive on his pitching hand Friday, and is out for the year with a broken thumb. The news just keeps getting worse for Day, once a top prospect in the Montreal organization. After a decent year last season, Day struggled for the Nationals this year and wound up in the bullpen. He was then traded to the place that pitchers go to die a fantasy death, being included in the deal that sent Preston Wilson to Washington. Predictably, his numbers got even worse after arriving at Coors and it looks as if the now 27-year-old will never fulfill his potential.
To take Day’s place, the Rockies purchased the contract of RHP Mike Esposito from Triple-A Colorado Springs. He made his MLB debut Wednesday, starting in San Diego, with middling results (suffering the loss after giving up seven hits and three earned runs in five innings, walking three and striking out one). Esposito, who turns 24 next week, was the Rockies’ 12th round pick in 2002. After two good years, Esposito landed at Colorado Springs this season, which is similar to Coors in its hitter friendliness. Predictably, he was bashed around pretty good, giving up 11.39 H/9 over 155.2 IP and going 8-9, 5.49. Esposito is a control pitcher (just 131 walks in 460 minor league innings) who does not strike out many (300 career, just 94 this year). As long as he’s Colorado property, he’s little more than an innings eater.
Andrew Good, who two years ago looked like an important part of Arizona’s future rotation, was removed from the Tigers’ 40-man roster on Tuesday after he cleared waivers as the club made room on its roster for Jason Grilli. Nothing like a little Happy Birthday, pal from Detroit. Good had turned 26 the day before. Nice touch. Very classy. At any rate, Good only appeared in two games with the Tigers this year, both back in April. He obviously is not a part of the team’s long-term plans, despite a decent season at Triple-A Toledo (9-5, 134.1 IP, 129 H, 61 R, 55 ER, 89 K). The 6’1” righty was the Diamondbacks’ eighth round pick in 1998. He could still wind up helping the Tigers next year, but has clearly slipped on the organization depth chart.
Also on Tuesday, the Brewers shifted injured starter Ben Sheets from the 15-day to the 60-day DL to make room for RHP Gary Glover, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Nashville. Glover, a 28-year-old righty, was the Brewers’ fifth starter until being designated for assignment in June. Needless to say, he was removed from the roster for a reason, namely, absolute ineffectiveness. In nine starts, he was shelled for 65 hits and 10 homers in 50.2 IP. He struck out 39, but was 3-4, with an ugly 6.71 ERA. To his credit, Glover sucked it up, went down to the minors and pitched well. In 16 starts and one relief appearance, he went 6-4 with one complete game, one save and just 91 hits, 39 runs (31 earned), nine homers and 29 walks allowed in 92 IP with 75 Ks. There’s no guarantee he’ll be any better the final two times through the rotation of the season than he was before getting banished to Nashville, but perhaps being removed from the roster will drive Glover to try to stick around this time. After all, he is, like many at this time of year, auditioning for a 2006 job.
Comments? Questions? Criticisms or witticisms? You can reach me at rob@creativesports.com if you’d like further information or have a question you’d like me to answer in an upcoming column. Have a suggestion for a column or want to hear analysis about a particular player? Feel free to write. I might even answer!
Rob Blackstien is a freelance writer and the principal of Pen-Ultimate (www.pen-ultimate.ca), a Toronto-based writing and editorial services firm.