Anyone have anyidea when he may be called upon ? I would love to pick him up before anyone realizes he may be called up. Are we looking at a September callup or earlier?
It's usually a scenario-based decision. i.e., if the Dodgers suffer key rotation injuries early in the season, there's a good chance he's up by May. If the Dodgers' staff and bullpen sails through the year flawlessly and the team is running ahead in the standings, then he has little hope before September. The actual reality, of course, will probably fall between those extremes. Just keep an eye out. Even if he gets called up for middle relief, he'll be worth a pickup in keeper/deep leagues for the peripherals and the next-in-line status that job often confers.
Pay attention to what happens to the #5 spot currently occupied by Esteban Loaiza and a spot that Chan Ho Park, presently a long reliever, could reprise should Loaiza continue to struggle. Loaiza had a relatively suspect outing, which is something to keep in mind, as his velocity really is at a far cry from his Cy Young campaign a few years ago and continues to get behind hitters.
If the Loaiza/Park battery isn't quite working up to scratch by June, I think this is the earliest we'll see Kershaw. Supposedly, Kershaw is working more innings in relief in preparation for a promotion and so as not to wear out his arm so quickly. Whatever happens, I believe the likelihood is that Kershaw is a mid-season promotion and should be called up at latest, September.
The Artful Dodger wrote:Pay attention to what happens to the #5 spot currently occupied by Esteban Loaiza and a spot that Chan Ho Park, presently a long reliever, could reprise should Loaiza continue to struggle. Loaiza had a relatively suspect outing, which is something to keep in mind, as his velocity really is at a far cry from his Cy Young campaign a few years ago and continues to get behind hitters.
If the Loaiza/Park battery isn't quite working up to scratch by June, I think this is the earliest we'll see Kershaw. Supposedly, Kershaw is working more innings in relief in preparation for a promotion and so as not to wear out his arm so quickly. Whatever happens, I believe the likelihood is that Kershaw is a mid-season promotion and should be called up at latest, September.
Yeah, i'm feelin the same thing as him but I need to add one thing. I'm a fan of Billingsly, but if he keeps this kind of crap going, he's gonna need to hit the `pen and Torre's gonna need to give Kershaw the nod.
i doubt billingsley will go back to the pen. his main reasons for not pitching effectively last night were that he couldn't get in a groove and he wasn't relaxed so he had absolutely zero control and wasn't throwing effective strikes. i think most of the comes from torre's misuse of the young pitcher. he let him throw an inning in miserable weather, then brings him back to throw 2 IP out of the pen, then he pushes his start back a day...no wonder the kid was unconfortable. i think he will rebound on next start because he will be much more confortable. or i could just be saying all of this as a billingsley owner.
regarding kershaw....i think he will be up most likely around june/post-all star break. i can't really see him coming up any earlier unless a starter gets injured or saito/broxton gets injured. torre has said that if saito can't go they wound bring kershaw up and use him much like chamberlain in NY, and have broxton as the closer. ultimately i think he will come up post-all star and take loiaza's #5 spot in the rotation. however, if loiaza somehow becomes effective we could not see kershaw until september. i would moniter the #5 spot but don't obsess over it right now because it most likely won't come for another couple months till we start hearing rumors.
Montana168 wrote:i doubt billingsley will go back to the pen. his main reasons for not pitching effectively last night were that he couldn't get in a groove and he wasn't relaxed so he had absolutely zero control and wasn't throwing effective strikes. i think most of the comes from torre's misuse of the young pitcher. he let him throw an inning in miserable weather, then brings him back to throw 2 IP out of the pen, then he pushes his start back a day...no wonder the kid was unconfortable. i think he will rebound on next start because he will be much more confortable. or i could just be saying all of this as a billingsley owner.
No matter what happens, Billingsley is virtually a lock in the rotation. Torre likes having Chan Ho Park and Hong Chih Kuo as long relievers to sub in for Loaiza should he falter.
Montana168 wrote:regarding kershaw....i think he will be up most likely around june/post-all star break. i can't really see him coming up any earlier unless a starter gets injured or saito/broxton gets injured. torre has said that if saito can't go they wound bring kershaw up and use him much like chamberlain in NY, and have broxton as the closer. ultimately i think he will come up post-all star and take loiaza's #5 spot in the rotation. however, if loiaza somehow becomes effective we could not see kershaw until september. i would moniter the #5 spot but don't obsess over it right now because it most likely won't come for another couple months till we start hearing rumors.
Kershaw could get the Joba treatment just to break him in without taxing his arm, but assuming Saito's fine and closing, we'll have an excess of MR's. Joe Beimel is our situational 7th inning guy as well as Scott Proctor and Troncoso who's been filling in where Jonathan Meloan would've been. With Kershaw getting more relief work in the minors, it's a good sign that Kershaw could crack the rotation right away. The thought of a Kershaw-Broxton-Saito 7-8-9 combo would be mighty filthy though.
Montana168 wrote:i doubt billingsley will go back to the pen. his main reasons for not pitching effectively last night were that he couldn't get in a groove and he wasn't relaxed so he had absolutely zero control and wasn't throwing effective strikes. i think most of the comes from torre's misuse of the young pitcher. he let him throw an inning in miserable weather, then brings him back to throw 2 IP out of the pen, then he pushes his start back a day...no wonder the kid was unconfortable. i think he will rebound on next start because he will be much more confortable. or i could just be saying all of this as a billingsley owner.
No matter what happens, Billingsley is virtually a lock in the rotation. Torre likes having Chan Ho Park and Hong Chih Kuo as long relievers to sub in for Loaiza should he falter.
Montana168 wrote:regarding kershaw....i think he will be up most likely around june/post-all star break. i can't really see him coming up any earlier unless a starter gets injured or saito/broxton gets injured. torre has said that if saito can't go they wound bring kershaw up and use him much like chamberlain in NY, and have broxton as the closer. ultimately i think he will come up post-all star and take loiaza's #5 spot in the rotation. however, if loiaza somehow becomes effective we could not see kershaw until september. i would moniter the #5 spot but don't obsess over it right now because it most likely won't come for another couple months till we start hearing rumors.
Kershaw could get the Joba treatment just to break him in without taxing his arm, but assuming Saito's fine and closing, we'll have an excess of MR's. Joe Beimel is our situational 7th inning guy as well as Scott Proctor and Troncoso who's been filling in where Jonathan Meloan would've been. With Kershaw getting more relief work in the minors, it's a good sign that Kershaw could crack the rotation right away. The thought of a Kershaw-Broxton-Saito 7-8-9 combo would be mighty filthy though.
Montana168 wrote:i doubt billingsley will go back to the pen. his main reasons for not pitching effectively last night were that he couldn't get in a groove and he wasn't relaxed so he had absolutely zero control and wasn't throwing effective strikes. i think most of the comes from torre's misuse of the young pitcher. he let him throw an inning in miserable weather, then brings him back to throw 2 IP out of the pen, then he pushes his start back a day...no wonder the kid was unconfortable. i think he will rebound on next start because he will be much more confortable. or i could just be saying all of this as a billingsley owner.
No matter what happens, Billingsley is virtually a lock in the rotation. Torre likes having Chan Ho Park and Hong Chih Kuo as long relievers to sub in for Loaiza should he falter.
Montana168 wrote:regarding kershaw....i think he will be up most likely around june/post-all star break. i can't really see him coming up any earlier unless a starter gets injured or saito/broxton gets injured. torre has said that if saito can't go they wound bring kershaw up and use him much like chamberlain in NY, and have broxton as the closer. ultimately i think he will come up post-all star and take loiaza's #5 spot in the rotation. however, if loiaza somehow becomes effective we could not see kershaw until september. i would moniter the #5 spot but don't obsess over it right now because it most likely won't come for another couple months till we start hearing rumors.
Kershaw could get the Joba treatment just to break him in without taxing his arm, but assuming Saito's fine and closing, we'll have an excess of MR's. Joe Beimel is our situational 7th inning guy as well as Scott Proctor and Troncoso who's been filling in where Jonathan Meloan would've been. With Kershaw getting more relief work in the minors, it's a good sign that Kershaw could crack the rotation right away. The thought of a Kershaw-Broxton-Saito 7-8-9 combo would be mighty filthy though.
What is your best guess as to his ETA?
I think I answered that earlier.
I believe there's the best chance Kershaw comes up around late June/early July (midseason) and I would be really surprised if at the latest, he's only promoted in September. Loaiza has looked shaky already and it's just a matter of time before Chan Ho Park's given a tryout there, but this will only accelerate Kershaw being called up (at earliest, you're looking at early June).
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by shoelessjoetara » Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:30 pm 
