DeSalvo To Return Next Weekend?
From the Post -
It looks like Matt DeSalvo is going to get another chance to prove to the Yankees he has what it takes to be a big league pitcher.
With the Yankees needing an additional starter for one of next Saturday’s two games against the Devil Rays at Yankee Stadium, it appears DeSalvo is going to get the nod.
“Right now Matty DeSalvo is pitching the best by far at Triple-A. If we have a need at the major league level, Matty DeSalvo is that need right now,” GM Brian Cashman said yesterday.
DeSalvo catches a break because of Phil Hughes and Jeff Karstens bad breaks with respect to the timing on their rehab starts.
Phil Hughes threw three innings last night in Trenton. That means he would pitch again on Wednesday. And, then, he would pitch again the next Monday.
It’s a shame that Phil didn’t start his rehab just two days earlier…then he would have pitched last Wednesday, then again on next Monday, and then he would have been right on schedule for this Saturday game in question.
Two-days is the difference here on Hughes.
Jeff Karstens, also rehabbing, missed by one day here. He pitched last Satuday, then again on this past Thursday, and is scheduled to throw again on next Tuesday. If Jeff had started his rehab just one day earlier, then he would be pitching again next Monday…which would have put him right on target for this Saturday game in question.
Let’s see if DeSalvo can take advantage of these timing breaks – and make a good impression.
unrelated, but I just got back from being not in this country and my sister recorded the Old Timer’s festivities on her DVR. I was just thinking how awesome the Yankees have treated Cory Lidle. He was only a Yankee for 3 months and was no Mariano Rivera or anything, but the way they handle things is really great. That he got mentioned at Old Timer’s Day is an awesome thing, I think.
I’m sure there are internal things i don’t know about and stuff, but it’s just kind of touching, if I can be so lame as to say that, to see that they don’t just forget about him. The arm band, the opening day stuff and mentioning him at Old Timer’s day is just a great thing to see.
Sorry for babbling.
That being said, there’s something about Matt DeSalvo that I like. I can’t put my finger on it, but I think if he doesn’t get all emotional about things, he can be a good pitcher. I like how he hides the ball with his body quite a bit. I wonder if he really is the best bet down in AAA, though, or if he’s just not quite as disastrous as Kei Igawa.
DeSalvo is a tremendously nice guy in person. I spoke with him a bit last week after game 1 of the S/WB double header. He was in the clubhouse after being pulled, just watching tv with a huge ice pack on his arm, so we got to talking about hot dogs. He sort of is like one of those “regular guys” in person, someone who always wanted to be a ball player, and is just really happy to play the game.
What is the Yankees’ obsession with DeSalvo? He hasn’t pitched that well in AAA — that’s a bunch of bull. He’s had a few starts where he had impressive strikeout numbers, but he’s still not going deep in games, he’s still throwing a lot of pitches and walking people, etc.
Tyler Clippard hasn’t been great, either, but he’s a better pitcher. He should get the call. In no situation — based on their last few AAA starts — should DeSalvo rise about Clippard on the depth chart.
DeSalvo might actually be able to pitch well against the Rays — he needs a free-swinging team to succeed. Hopefully he has his one good start and they’re able to include him in a trade, which might be what they have in mind.
In response to baileywalk, Matt DeSalvo has a 2.21 ERA in AAA this year, and is by far the best RIGHT NOW. Clippard will def. be better but he has been an absolutely mess since the 1st Mets start. In his last 15 AAA innings he has given up 23 hits, 8 walks, with only 7ks.
Besides DeSalvo, the only other options on the 40man roster are Chase Wright who has been mediocre in AAA (4.23, 1.41 WHIP) and Colter Bean (6+). The only other guy that would have made sense was Runelvys Hernandez but he was just released.