Why isn't Scioscia trying to stretch out Rasmus in this next few weeks

[rageous]

He has been pretty successful in his limited starts so far.

Shouldn't he be trying to stretch him out a bit more each time?

The team's other option is CJ and everyone dreads watching him start against a playoffs team.

They could have easily worked him up to about 70 pitches per start and allow him to get up to 5th inning and let the bullpen do the rest without having to resort to Roth, Leblanc or Herrera.

[HaloCory22]

My question exactly. Rasmus has looked solid. He can easily be stretched to 5 IP. Idk why Scioscia is being so short with him. I'd rather go into a start with him than CJ at this point.

[DoubleOffTheWall]

Because rasmus will be the long man who comes in when santiago and or wilson falls apart.

[Jay]

Maybe they are stretching him out, last night he pitched 4 instead of the usual 3.  Not that it mattered, the bullpen was completely ineffective.

[Docwaukee]

It was 147 degrees yesterday.  

[Blarg]

Let's just not push our luck with another arm and try and make a starter out of a reliever at the end of the season. This is not the time of year you try and add more time on a guys shoulder/elbow and change his whole routine to cover the last 11 games of the season. And it is not even 11 games, it is probably two starts before the entire season is considered complete for the Angels and they rest anyone that is on the post season roster.

 

Rasmus is not going to be a post season starter. He will be lucky to get a spot in the bullpen at long relief if he makes the roster. So this is a high risk/no reward maneuver to make him into a 5-6 innings starter.

[Chuck]

My question exactly. Rasmus has looked solid. He can easily be stretched to 5 IP. Idk why Scioscia is being so short with him. I'd rather go into a start with him than CJ at this point.

 

Exactly. Totally agree!

[Angel Oracle]

Rasmus since becoming a regular part of this staff in early June = 2.30 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 46.2 innings.

How is that NOT worthy of being a key member of the post-season staff?

 

Have you not been watching the telecasts when he pitches, where Gubi gushes about his pitch repertoire and movement, and the gun showing him touching mid 90s? 

 

Lucky to make the post-season roster?   Okay

 

It won't hurt to stretch him just a little bit more, to say 60 pitches.    Then if Nibs is Nibs and has to be pulled in the 2nd or 3rd inning in an October start, Rasmus can then hopefully get it through the 6th inning with the team still having a chance to win.

[laagamer]

This is not the time of year you try and add more time on a guys shoulder/elbow and change his whole routine to cover the last 11 games of the season. And it is not even 11 games, it is probably two starts before the entire season is considered complete for the Angels and they rest anyone that is on the post season roster.

Rasmus is not going to be a post season starter. He will be lucky to get a spot in the bullpen at long relief if he makes the roster. So this is a high risk/no reward maneuver to make him into a 5-6 innings starter.

^^ This ^^

[DoubleOffTheWall]

Rasmus will definitely make the postseason roster. 

 

He is basically going to be Santiago and CJ Wilson's shadow. 

[ettin]

I suspect that the Angels have a predetermined ceiling on how many innings any starter or reliever can pitch over their previous season's totals. In 2013 Rasmus pitched just over 66 innings and he currently sits at 77 innings. Assuming the Angels bust all the way through to the World Series, Rasmus is likely to pitch another 18-30 innings pushing him upwards of 100 innings pitched.

I know this doesn't seem like much but it is my understanding that teams typically don't like any pitcher to go more than 50% over their previous season's innings pitched which would put a cap on Rasmus at or around 100 IP.

Just a thought I could be totally off base.

[WallyWorld]

Let's just not push our luck with another arm and try and make a starter out of a reliever at the end of the season. This is not the time of year you try and add more time on a guys shoulder/elbow and change his whole routine to cover the last 11 games of the season. And it is not even 11 games, it is probably two starts before the entire season is considered complete for the Angels and they rest anyone that is on the post season roster.

 

Rasmus is not going to be a post season starter. He will be lucky to get a spot in the bullpen at long relief if he makes the roster. So this is a high risk/no reward maneuver to make him into a 5-6 innings starter.

 

I agree, Eric, though I think DoubleOffTheWall is also correct in that Rasmus is a lock for the roster and will be used to try and keep us in a game where CJ or Hector shit the bed in the first couple innings.

[Jay]

It will be extremely disappointing if CJ doesn't get his act together for the playoffs.

[HeavenlyHalos]

Let's just not push our luck with another arm and try and make a starter out of a reliever at the end of the season. This is not the time of year you try and add more time on a guys shoulder/elbow and change his whole routine to cover the last 11 games of the season. And it is not even 11 games, it is probably two starts before the entire season is considered complete for the Angels and they rest anyone that is on the post season roster.

 

Rasmus is not going to be a post season starter. He will be lucky to get a spot in the bullpen at long relief if he makes the roster. So this is a high risk/no reward maneuver to make him into a 5-6 innings starter.

 

It is certainly high risk, but there is a reward possibility if he proved he could throw 70-80 pitches and become a starter in the postseason. That option has passed now though.

[fan_since79]

Rasmus since becoming a regular part of this staff in early June = 2.30 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 46.2 innings.

How is that NOT worthy of being a key member of the post-season staff?

 

Have you not been watching the telecasts when he pitches, where Gubi gushes about his pitch repertoire and movement, and the gun showing him touching mid 90s? 

 

Lucky to make the post-season roster?   Okay

 

It won't hurt to stretch him just a little bit more, to say 60 pitches.    Then if Nibs is Nibs and has to be pulled in the 2nd or 3rd inning in an October start, Rasmus can then hopefully get it through the 6th inning with the team still having a chance to win.

 

Nibs has shown on more than one occasion that he can settle down and dominate after two or three shaky innings. There was that recent game where he looked awful and gave up three runs early on, then looked like Cy Young afterwards.

That's what's so maddening about him. You don't know what to do, whether to pull him or not.

[fan_since79]

It will be extremely disappointing if CJ doesn't get his act together for the playoffs.

 

I'm sick of hearing about him constantly struggling to find his "release point". Is pitching that complicated?!

[WallyWorld]

Nibs has shown on more than one occasion that he can settle down and dominate after two or three shaky innings. There was that recent game where he looked awful and gave up three runs early on, then looked like Cy Young afterwards.

That's what's so maddening about him. You don't know what to do, whether to pull him or not.

 

It will definitely be interesting to see how Scioscia handled CJ in particular. I think a factor where will be the status of the series. i.e. if we're down 1-0 or 2-0 in the series and CJ starts the next game and looks shaky, he'll get a quick hook. Conversely, if we're up in a series I could see him getting a longer leash.

[HaloMagic]

The second CJ goes 2-0 on a batter I'd pull his ass. I don't feel like messing around with that in the postseason. Same goes for the first batter Weaver puts on in the 7th. I'm not interested in guts, grit, and heroics. I want wins.

[Jay]

It will definitely be interesting to see how Scioscia handled CJ in particular. I think a factor where will be the status of the series. i.e. if we're down 1-0 or 2-0 in the series and CJ starts the next game and looks shaky, he'll get a quick hook. Conversely, if we're up in a series I could see him getting a longer leash.

 

Agree but it's sad that we are even having this conversation.  Wilson is healthy and should be a rock-solid #2.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Jay

[Troll Daddy]

I think you have to trust the pitching coach on this one. I have a strange feeling they know what they're doing.

[Angel Oracle]

Is it "not finding his release point"?    Or is there something physically wrong with Nibs? 

 

Where is the Wilson that pitched well from April 2013 through May 2014??????? 

[fan_since79]

The second CJ goes 2-0 on a batter I'd pull his ass. I don't feel like messing around with that in the postseason. Same goes for the first batter Weaver puts on in the 7th. I'm not interested in guts, grit, and heroics. I want wins.

 

LOL on pulling CJ after his first 2-0 count. He wouldn't get past the first two batters.

 

But yes on Weaver. The 7th inning is his achilles heel. A quick hook there.

[Blarg]

I'm sick of hearing about him constantly struggling to find his "release point". Is pitching that complicated?!

 

Yes, it is that complicated otherwise pitchers would be easily replaceable. But you are welcome to prove everyone wrong by doing a backyard video of your command of a fastball, slider, curve and offspeed pitch.

[Jeff Fletcher]

The reason they aren't stretching out Rasmus is they had lots of very effective relievers to go behind him because of the expanded rosters.

They were more interested in him pitching 3 scoreless innings than giving up 2 runs in 5 innings because they felt they had enough relievers that they could get 2 scoreless out of them.

Also, this isn't like when Garrett Richards went from the bullpen to the rotation last July and cranked it up about 10-15 pitches each time.

Rasmus has not been a starter for 3 years.

They also didn't want him compromising his effectiveness if he tries to "pace himself" to get deeper in the game.

Maybe he wouldn't be as good for those 3-4 if he went in feeling like he had to last 5-6.

Of course, that was all before Shoemaker got hurt. Now it would be nice if he could go 5-6 but it's too late. Not enough time for that.

[DMVol]

...Of course, that was all before Shoemaker got hurt. Now it would be nice if he could go 5-6 but it's too late. Not enough time for that.

I don't know Jeff....he went 4 last night and seemed pretty strong in the 4th....maybe not 6 or 7 but 5 innings doesn't seem like a stretch....it probably is more about pitches than innings pitched....5 clean innings might be easier than 3 CJ type innings...

Edited September 17, 2014 by DMVol