PHOENIX — Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson tempered his positive evaluation
of Josh Collmenter’s most recent start on Wednesday morning, and it appears the
right-hander’s spot in the rotation is no longer a given.
Gibson hasn’t announced the starting pitchers for Sunday or Monday in Miami,
the next time Wade Miley and Collmenter would be on turn to pitch.
"It’s a very complex situation," Gibson said about the rotation.
Compounding the issue is the uncertainty surrounding Daniel Hudson, who Gibson
said Wednesday will not be ready to return to the team when eligible May 4.
Hudson, placed on the disabled list with a shoulder impingement retroactive to April
19, is not scheduled to throw his first bullpen session until May 8, after the
team returns from its 10-game road trip that begins in Miami on Friday. That
session is only tentative, providing Hudson responds as hoped.
Hudson has not begun throwing and is taking treatment to strengthen the
shoulder and get rid of stiffness.
"It all goes into it, yeah," Gibson said.
Collmenter gave up six runs on nine hits, including two home runs, in an 8-5
loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Phillies scored four runs on a pair of
two-run homers in the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie. His ERA dropped
to 9.82, but he has given up six homers in 18 1/3 innings. Left-handed hitters
are batting .340 with three homers in 47 at-bats against him this season.
"The fourth inning where they got four hits, that part is troubling,"
Gibson said. "He has given up six home runs, that’s troubling. We are not
going to be able to tolerate four runs in an inning, boom, boom, boom. He’s
just cruising along, and then two hits, two home runs. That’s pretty tough when
you are playing the Phillies. They don’t give up four runs a game.
"For us, it is can he get back to where he was? That’s the question.
That’s what we’re looking for. We’ve shown confidence in him. We believe we
have seen improvement every time out. The results haven’t been there, and that
means something."
Collmenter was a pleasant surprise last season, going 10-10 with a
3.38 ERA after joining the team in mid-April.
"We are going to look at our staff," Gibson said. "What is
our best bullpen? What is our best starting rotation? How can we best deal with
our opponents and win as many games as we can?"
Miley pitched six shutout innings in his first start of the season while
filling in for Hudson in Monday's 9-5 victory over the Phillies. His first
three appearances were out of the bullpen behind Collmenter, and Gibson has
said he considers a reliable long man in the bullpen a must.
Gibson might consider Miley his best alternative there, although Joe Martinez
was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Tuesday to fill that role in the short term.
Miley is not available to pitch in any capacity until at least Saturday after
throwing 81 pitches against the Phillies.
The last factor to consider is the strong starts of minor league prospects
Trevor Bauer and Patrick Corbin. Bauer is 4-0 with an 0.40 ERA in 22 2/3
innings at Double-A Mobile, and is next scheduled to start Thursday at
Chattanooga.
Corbin, who was the last starter sent out in spring training, threw seven
shutout innings for Mobile on Tuesday and would be in turn to make
either available start in Miami. Corbin is 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four
starts over 27 innings.
If the D-backs brought up either of those pitchers or top prospect Tyler
Skaggs, they would face another year of salary arbitration with each going
forward. Players are typically eligible for arbitration after their first three
seasons, but the top 17 percent of rookies each year are classified as
"super twos" and receive four years of arbitration eligibility. It
could cost a team another $1 million to $2 million.
The D-backs have never said arbitration would factor into a decision to
promote a player, however, and they are unlikely to consider it now. Gibson
expects to talk to general manager Kevin Towers tonight and meet with him in
Miami on Thursday.
"The way I look at it is, how can I put guys in better situations to
succeed? There is a lot to go into it," Gibson said. "I don’t have an
answer. I tend to take my time and talk to people. It is not an easy
decision."
Follow
Jack Magruder on Twitter
