This is one of the toughest weeks of the season for figuring teams’ pitching rotation. On Sept. 1 (Tuesday), the active roster expands. That means teams will be bringing back pitchers from the disabled list and recalling promising prospects. Sometimes, they’ll take the place of someone at the bottom of the rotation. At other times, they’ll be added as a sixth starter. At still others, they might make spot starts when a pitcher has a minor injury. An increasing trend in baseball also is limiting the number of innings a young prospect pitches in a season. So you might see some teams dropping one of its best prospects from the rotation in favor of another youngster who might have been the No. 2 or 3 starter in Double-A or Triple-A.
The teams most likely to receive a lot of starts from unproven rookies are those that are hopelessly out of the playoff race, or way ahead of the pack. A couple of teams in New York come to mind. Some pitchers might arrive a week or more later if the parent team wants them to compete in minor league playoffs.
AL
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Bal
NYY NYY NYY/ --- Tex Tex Tex
Guthrie Hernandez Berken/ --- Tillman Matusz Guthrie2
Bos
--- @TB @TB @TB/ @CWS @CWS @CWS
--- Lester Beckett Buchholz/ Tazawa* Byrd** Lester2
CWS
@Min @Min @Min/ @ChC/ Bos Bos Bos
Floyd Danks Buehrle/ Contreras-3*/ Garcia Floyd2 Danks2
Cle
--- @Det @Det @Det/ Min Min Min
--- Huff Laffey Carmona/ Sowers Masterson Huff2
Det
TB/ Cle Cle Cle/ @TB @TB @TB
Washburn/ Jackson Porcello Robertson-4*/ Verlander Washburn2-5* Jackson2
KC
@Oak @Oak @Oak/ --- LAA LAA LAA
Hochevar Davies Bannister/ --- Meche Greinke Hochevar2
LAA
@Se @Se @Se/ --- @KC @KC @KC
Saunders Santana Kazmir-6*/ --- Weaver Lackey Saunders2
Min
CWS CWS CWS/ --- @Cle @Cle @Cle
Blackburn Manship-7* Duensing/ --- Pavano Baker Blackburn2
NYY
@Bal @Bal @Bal/ @Tor @Tor @Tor @Tor
Pettitte Burnett Sabathia/ Mitre-8* Chamberlain Pettitte2 Burnett2
Oak
KC KC KC/ Se Se Se Se
G.Gonzalez Ed.Gonzalez-9* Cahill/ Tomko Mazzaro Anderson G.Gonzalez2
Se
LAA LAA LAA/ @Oak @Oak @Oak @Oak
French Fister Hernandez/ Snell Rowland-Smith French2 Fister2
TB
@Det/ Bos Bos Bos/ Det Det Det
Shields/ Sonnanstine-10* Garza Price/ Niemann Shields2 Sonnanstine2
Tex
Tor Tor-2 Tor/ --- @Bal @Bal @Bal
Holland Nippert-McCarthy-11* Hunter/ --- Feldman Holland2 McCarthy2
Tor
@Tex @Tex-2 @Tex/ NYY NYY NYY NYY
Cecil Rzepczynski-Tallet-12* Richmond/ Romero Halladay Cecil2 Rzepczynski2
*-The Red Sox optioned RHP Junichi Tazawa to Triple-A Pawtucket, but he could return to start Friday. RHP Tim Wakefield was expected to return to the rotation this week, but his back has been giving him trouble again.
**-RHP Paul Byrd made his first start this season for Boston Sunday, and pitched six scoreless innings to beat the Blue Jays.
3*-RHP Jose Contreras didn’t pitch well in losing to the Yankees Saturday, but the fading White Sox might not have a better option for their rotation. Chicago hoped to have RHP Jake Peavy off the disabled list, but he left Saturday’s injury-rehab start at Triple-A Charlotte after 3 1/3 innings because of a tight elbow.
4*-On Saturday, Tigers LHP Nate Robertson pitched well in his first start since returning from elbow surgery. His next turn would be Thursday. Robertson might not stay in the rotation long because RHP Armando Galarraga will be eligible to come back Sunday after being optioned to Triple-A Toledo.
5*-For the second consecutive week, there’s a wraparound series plus a home-and-home series against the same opponent that will result in the same pitchers facing each other in consecutive starts during the same week. This time, it’s Detroit LHP Jarrod Washburn vs. Rays RHP James Shields. If I had to pick one of them to dominate, it would be Shields, who has pitched better than Washburn recently. In addition, Tampa Bay needs the wins more than the Tigers do. Last week, I wrote that Giants LHP Barry Zito should prevail over Rockies RHP Jason Marquis. Zito allowed only one earned run in 14 1/3 innings, when he won one game and had no decision in a 14-inning loss for San Francisco.
6*-LHP Scott Kazmir is scheduled Wednesday to make his first start since being traded to the Angels. He would replace rookie RHP Trevor Bell in LA/Anaheim’s rotation.
7*-Rookie RHP Jeff Manship, who was having a good year at Triple-A Rochester, is scheduled to make his first major league start Tuesday for the Twins. Minnesota’s rotation has been in a surprising shambles, but the Twins are playing there way back into the American League Central race.
8*-RHP Sergio Mitre had allowed only one hit when a line drive struck his right forearm and knocked him from Saturday’s game against the White Sox. Manager Joe Girardi conceded, “There’s some concern there.” If Mitre couldn’t pitch Thursday, New York could turn to RHP Chad Gaudin, who finished the one-hitter against the White Sox.
9*-The Athletics are planning to use a six-man rotation to lighten the load on their young starting pitchers. There won’t be another dynamic youngster joining them, but journeyman RHP Edgar Gonzalez.
10*-The Rays are recalling RHP Andy Sonnanstine, who started for them last year, from Triple-A Durham to take Kazmir’s place in the Tampa Bay rotation beginning Tuesday.
11*-With a doubleheader against the Blue Jays Tuesday, when the active roster limit expands from 25 to 40, the Rangers will bring RHP Brandon McCarthy back from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City to start one game. If he pitches well, he could take RHP Dustin Nippert’s place in Texas’ rotation.
12*-Toronto would bring LHP Brian Tallet back out of its bullpen to start one game of the doubleheader.
NL
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Ari
@LAD @LAD @LAD @LAD/ @Col @Col @Col
Davis Petit Scherzer Garland/ Haren Davis2 Petit2
Atl
@Fla @Fla @Fla @Fla/ Cin Cin Cin
Hudson* Vazquez Hanson Lowe/ Jurrjens Hudson2 Vazquez2
ChC
Ho Ho Ho/ CWS/ @NYM @NYM @NYM
Harden Wells Lilly/ Dempster Zambrano Harden2 Wells2
Cin
Pit-2 Pit Pit/ --- @Atl @Atl @Atl
Wells-Cueto** Lehr Bailey/ --- Maloney Arroyo Cueto2
Col
--- NYM NYM NYM/ Ari Ari Ari
--- DeLaRosa Jimenez Marquis/ Hammel Morales-3* DeLaRosa2
Fla
Atl Atl Atl Atl/ @Was @Was @Was
Johnson Sanchez VandenHurk-4* Nolasco/ West Johnson2 Sanchez2
Ho
@ChC @ChC @ChC/ --- Phi Phi Phi
Oswalt Moehler Bazardo-5*/ --- Norris Rodriguez Oswalt2
LAD
Ari Ari Ari Ari/ SD SD SD
Wolf Padilla-6* Billingsley Haeger/ Kershaw Wolf2 Padilla2
Mil
--- @StL @StL @StL/ SF SF SF
--- Looper Bush-7* Parra/ Gallardo Suppan Looper2
NYM
--- @Col @Col @Col/ ChC ChC ChC
--- Pelfrey Redding Misch-8*/ Parnell Figueroa-9* Pelfrey2
Phi
--- SF SF SF/ @Ho @Ho @Ho
--- Hamels Happ Martinez-10*/ Lee Blanton Hamels2
Pit
@Cin-2 @Cin @Cin/ --- StL StL StL
Maholm-D.McCutchen-11* Morton Duke/ --- Hart Ohlendorf Maholm2
StL
--- Mil Mil Mil/ @Pit @Pit @Pit
--- Pineiro Carpenter Smoltz/ Boggs Wainwright Pineiro2
SD
Was Was Was/ --- @LAD @LAD @LAD
Stauffer Richard Correia/ --- LeBlanc Carrillo-12* Stauffer2
SF
--- @Phi @Phi @Phi/ @Mil @Mil @Mil
--- Sanchez Lincecum Zito/ Cain Martinez Sanchez2
Was
@SD @SD @SD/ --- Fla Fla Fla
Hernandez-13* Martin Lannan/ --- Stammen Mock Hernandez2
*-The Braves are taking RHP Tim Hudson off the disabled list to make his first start this season Monday. That Aug. 31 date is significant. Because he’s on the 25-man roster as of Aug. 31, Hudson would be eligible for the postseason roster. And Atlanta is a very viable playoff contender. He’ll be replacing RHP Kenshin Kawakami in the rotation.
**-For their day-night doubleheader against the Pirates Monday, the Reds will bring RHP Kip Wells out of the bullpen and RHP Johnny Cueto off the disabled list to start.
3*-The Rockies will need a fifth starter with RHP Aaron Cook on the disabled list. They reportedly are one of the teams with interest in RHP Brad Penny, released by the Red Sox. If they don’t sign Penny, they might not bring back RHP Jhoulys Chacin, who hasn’t pitched well after contributing to a no-hitter for Triple-A Colorado Springs. Instead, they might turn to LHP Franklin Morales from their bullpen.
4*-The Marlins optioned ineffective RHP Chris Volstad to Triple-A New Orleans. They could bring him back in September, but it’s more likely for Wednesday’s start that Florida would recall another minor league pitcher such as RHP Rick Vanden Hurk. Other options are LHP Andrew Miller, or RHP Burke Badenhop off the disabled list.
5*-RHP Yorman Bazardo didn’t pitch well in his start Friday, but with a depleted farm system the Astros don’t have many options. So Bazardo could start again Wednesday.
6*-The Dodgers signed RHP Vicente Padilla after the Rangers tired of his negative clubhouse influence and released him. He won his first start for LA, and is scheduled for two more this week. Don’t get too excited about Padilla.
7*-RHP David Bush returned from the disabled list to start Thursday’s game, and would be scheduled for his next start Tuesday.
8*-LHP Pat Misch pitched well Friday in his first start for the Mets – replacing LHP Oliver Perez, who will miss the remainder of the season because of knee surgery. Misch’s next start would be Thursday.
9*-In his umpteenth major league opportunity, RHP Nelson Figueroa won Sunday’s start and earned another one Saturday.
10*-For the second time in four starts since joining the Phillies, RHP Pedro Martinez had his appearance Friday shortened because of a rain delay. Both times, LHP Jamie Moyer, whose ineffectiveness as a starter put Pedro in the rotation, relieved the righty and picked up a win.
11*-To start one game of Monday’s doubleheader, the Pirates recalled RHP Daniel McCutchen from Triple-A Indianapolis to make his major league debut. He is likely to receive more starts for Pittsburgh in September.
12*-Padres manager Bud Black indicated he would shut down rookie RHP Mat Latos, who began the season in Double-A, after Saturday’s start. Latos showed enough to pencil himself into San Diego’s 2010 rotation. Taking over could be RHP Cesar Carrillo, who was Latos’ teammate at San Antonio and San Diego but has been demoted from the Padres to Triple-A Portland.
13*- Veteran RHP Livan Hernandez, whom the Nationals signed after the Mets released him, is schedule for two starts with Washington this week. Unless you have to have a definite gamble work out for you to stay in your fantasy race, think of Hernandez as having twice as big an opportunity to hurt your team.
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