Quote:
Originally Posted by BigRedChief
You bring your #1 starter back as a 7th inning reliever. We can see the 3-4 mph drop off of his fastball. Even when he can air it off in relief.
Anyone else concerned he has an injury?
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I'll stand down on the velocity concerns right now.
He had NO feel for his 4-seamer last night. None. His cutter was around 91 and his 2-seamer was 94ish. That's about right for him. He just never took it up to 97-98 because he couldn't get on top of his 4-seamer at all and damn near killed Taylor with it on a 2-strike count at one point.
So Yadi shelved it and Martinez tried to make due without it. If he has it one day, is using it and it's coming in at 95 then I'll be more concerned.
That said - he DOES have an injury of some sort. It is probably just some kind of lingering soreness that he can't shake and needs short bursts to keep it from flaring up. But there's a reason different parts in his throwing arm keep failing at their weakest points. He's covering for something and developing mechanical glitches.
I think the hope is that throwing in relief keeps him from tiring and thus losing his mechanics and stressing whatever that is more.
To me the guy's just having a snakebit season and like Weaver, he just needs to get this season over with and start fresh next year. I mean for ****'s sake he just had a ball hit through his chest. Some years just aren't your year. If we can get him some relief appearances in the hopes of convincing him that he'll be sound next season - great.
But that should be the only goal. I'd close the book on meaningful contributions from him this year.