About that rotation ...

The Braves have Mike Hampton penciled in to start May 10th against Pittsburgh, though he doesn't sound very convinced (join the club):

"I hope I'll be ready," said Hampton, who hasn't pitched in a major-league game in 32 months because of injuries and two elbow surgeries. "I feel [the pectoral strain] some on every pitch. I'd be lying if I said I didn't.

"If it doesn't get any worse, I'll be fine."

What a gamer!

Huddy, meanwhile, swears he's okay, but his velocity remains down, according to Kennesaw-based sabermetrician J.C. Bradbury.

“I think the Braves are being misleading,” he wrote me. “I tracked Hudson’s fastball on MLB’s Gameday, and his last start was very similar to his April 16 start against the Marlins in terms of fastball speed. On April 16 his average fastball was 88.81 MPH, and on April 26 his average fastball was 88.53 MPH. In his April 21 Washington start, his average fastball was 90.58 MPH.”

That doesn't necessarily mean Huddy's hurting, writes DOB:

I’ll point to two such incidents in the same season, the 2000 season with Oakland: Hudson gave up 11 hits, 11 runs and three homers in just four total innings during consecutive starts April 15-20 against Boston and Cleveland.

Then he went 9-0 with a 3.40 ERA and .210 opponents’ average in his next 13 starts.

Late that season he went 1-3 with an 11.72 ERA during a four-start span Aug. 6-23, giving up 27 hits in 17-2/3 innings including starts of 2-2/3 innings and 3-2/3 innings.

Then he went 7-0 with a 1.16 ERA and .163 opponents’ average in seven starts the rest of the season.

--CB

Comments

[tbone82]

So it's more of the same for Hampton. What part hasn't he injured? Can we just trade him to the Disabled List for...i dunno, A-rod? Rollins? Posada? Player to be named later?

[sansho1]

I'm listening to the Richmond game right now. You’re not going to believe this. At 72 pitches (3 from his limit), Hampton throws a pitch to Reed Brignac and walks off the mound. Trainer comes out, and Hampton gets pulled in the middle of the count.

Actually, you probably do believe it.

[wuky]

Hampton... what a louse.

[Caz]

My guess is that Hampton takes a line-drive off his face, and on his way to the dugout to get stitches in his lip so he can go back out and pitch ('cause he's a gamer), he stubs his pinky toe going down the steps and has to go on the 60-Day DL.

That's just my guess though.

[sansho1]

Lots of pitchers suffer from a dead-arm period this time of year -- I'm not worried about Hudson yet. Can't afford to be.

[tbone82]

hmm...maybe a line drive back to the mound will break through his glove webbing and bruise his ribs...or maybe he'll strike out the side in the first inning, and someone will high-five him too hard...

[CD]

I don't see how you can draw any sweeping conclusions based on his fastball varying from 89 to 91. Doesn't sound like a huge difference to me. And tracking it online? I'd be more convinced if Bradbury actually saw Hudson pitch in person.

[CD]

Hampton's Richmond start is at 11:05 a.m. today, so we won't have to wait long to hear what happened to him. I say he slips fielding a bunt within the first two innings. Any other guesses? Unusually large raindrop? Throw out his back bending over to clean his spikes? Maybe he pulls THE OTHER pectoral muscle?

[tbone82]

Our rotation is held together with duct tape and tongue depressors. I'll be hard pressed to feel optimistic until we have a solid rotation that can stay together for 2-3 weeks (!) without anyone getting hurt.

[PepeFreeUs]

Thanks to you guys, every time I see Hampton, especially when he gets that All Bulled Up look on his face, I can't help but laugh because the words "Sore nipple" fly into my head.