Mike Pelfrey to return to rotation

[Parker Hageman]

1500ESPN.com's Brandon Warne reported that manager Ron Gardenhire told SiriusXM that Mike Pelfrey will be starting in Toronto on Saturday.

 

On Monday night, Mike Pelfrey made a rehab start in Cedar Rapids (Low A). The results were decent enough: After surrendering a home run in the first inning, Pelfrey settled in and worked six innings of two-run ball, striking out six not walking any.

 

As Cedar Rapids correspondent SD Buhr wrote today, Pelfrey was suppose to throw either 75 pitches or five innings, whichever came first. He was at 54 pitches through five and went out for the sixth. According to Buhr, Pelfrey said:

 

“We got there in the fourth and the fifth and they said, ‘hey you’re done.’ I said, ‘hey I want to go back out for one more.’ I was just starting to get the command of my fastball back, which is very important to have to succeed, obviously, at the Big League level.”

 

Saturday is Scott Diamond's turn in the rotation and, after his respectable performance against the Yankees' Triple-A lineup, he likely has earned an additional start while the struggling P.J. Walters will likely be sent back to Rochester.

 

[NOTE: As Jeremy Nygaard points out, Walters is out of options and would require to be designated for assignment and pass through waivers to return to Rochester. Given his current production level, odds are he returns to Rochester.]

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Likely DFA'd or outrighted, he's out of options. Regardless, Rochester would be the likely destination, unless someone else takes a chance on him.

[Kwak]

If Walters were claimed would anybody care?

[nicksaviking]

If Walters were claimed would anybody care?

 

Walters probably.

[greengoblinrulz]

If PJ pitches well Wed, it could still be Gibson despite how absurd that is due to Twins loyalty to its retreads

[Danchat]

If PJ pitches well Wed, it could still be Gibson despite how absurd that is due to Twins loyalty to its retreads

 

Yeah... I could imagine them thinking "we can't lose P. J.!" so they send Gibson down.

Pleeeeease don't....

[DaveW]

PJ Walters vs CC Sabbathia

 

LOL

[Mike Sixel]

Why is pelfrey coming back? He is bad at his job.

[diehardtwinsfan]

If PJ pitches well Wed, it could still be Gibson despite how absurd that is due to Twins loyalty to its retreads

 

Doubt it. Baring a catastrophic collapse, Gibson is up for good.

[DaveW]

Doubt it. Baring a catastrophic collapse, Gibson is up for good.

 

Yeah, the Twins have said as much.

[DaveW]

Why is pelfrey coming back? He is bad at his job.

 

Because he is still significantly better then PJ Walters and his 6.31 career ERA.

 

Pelfrey has been dissapointing no doubt this year, but he is coming back from Tommy John and in his last 4 starts he was at least somewhat serviceable. 3 of 4 he gave up 3 ER (other one was 4 ER) and in 3 of 4 he went 6+ IP. Again, nothing earth shattering but he was at least showing some improvement.

[Mike Sixel]

Because he is still significantly better then PJ freaking Walters and his 6.31 career ERA.

 

Pelfrey has been dissapointing no doubt this year, but he is coming back from Tommy John and in his last 4 starts he was at least somewhat serviceable. 3 of 4 he gave up 3 ER (other one was 4 ER) and in 3 of 4 he went 6+ IP. Again, nothing earth shattering but he was at least showing some improvement.

Fair enough......lets hope he is good.

[DaveW]

Fair enough......lets hope he is good.

 

I mean don't get me wrong, in a "good" rotation Pelfrey prob doesn't have much business being in one. But the Twins have the worst rotation in baseball (by far the least Quality Starts in the MLB) if he can go 6 IP and 3ER that will go along ways with this motley crew

[nicksaviking]

Why is pelfrey coming back? He is bad at his job.

 

He faced Low A batters yesterday and only gave up one HR. Walters and Diamond likely would have given up at least two.

[cmathewson]

If PJ pitches well Wed, it could still be Gibson despite how absurd that is due to Twins loyalty to its retreads

 

The Twins have said repeatedly that when they call Gibson up, it's for good. Odds are Walters gets DFAd after the game tomorrow.

[TheLeviathan]

Let's hope he builds some trade value. Only a few more starts to endure if we're lucky.

[stringer bell]

I think this is the fourth "elimination start" for a Twins pitcher in the last month. Pelfrey had two (one meh, one pretty good IIRC), Diamond was pretty good on Monday and now Walters. The path for Walters is clear if he has a bad start--he has no options, so he would be DFAed and I can't see any takers.

 

Meanwhile, Pelfrey seems to be doing incrementally better. I said it before, maybe I like his velocity too much, but he intrigues me a bit as a middle to bottom of the rotation veteran for 2014.