Bailey on 15-Day DL Enerio Del Rosario Gets First ML Call

Homer Bailey left the game in Cleveland yesterday with inflamaition in his right shoulder.

"It's not good news," Dusty Baker said.  "But it could be worse.  "That's how you've got to look at it."

Enerio Del Rosario, a reliever was recalled.

"We need another reliever right now," Baker said.  "It came down to him and a couple other guys.  We asked our minor league people,  'Who could help us most.'  He throws strikes, fields his position and he's hungry to succeed."

His best pitch is a sinker according to his mentor, Mario Soto, who has worked with Reds young pitchers.

Del Rosario was impressive in Arizona but not quite ready.

"He just needs to pitch more," Soto said in March.

Del Rosario is 24 years old.  He is from the Dominican Republic and signed with the Reds as a 19-year old.

At Louisville he pitched in 20 games, allowing just 4 earned runs in 24 2/3 innings for a 1.48 ERA.  He saved three games, while walking just four batter and fanning 17.

The Reds won't need a starter until Friday.  Micah Owings, who pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief of Bailey, could be the replacement starter.

The Reds have used the same 5 starters in the first 44 games.  The last time they went that deep into the season without a sixth starter was 1992 when the starting five lasted 80 games.

Owings is available only as a pinch hitter, Baker said this afternoon.  He could be the emergency starter on Friday, having filled that role before.

All the hype says that Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban Missle, should be recalled but Sam LeCure has been the most efficient and consistent starter for  Louisville to date.  LeCure was named International League pitcher of the week.  He is 5-2 with a 2.55 ERA.

Matt Maloney is also ahead of Chapman and near miss out of spring training, Travis Wood.  Just off the DL, Maloney is 4-1 with a 2.72 ERA.

Chapman is 4-2 with a 3.98 ERA.  But these stats will tell the Radar Gun Advocates why he is not ready.  Chapman has walked 24 batters in just 40 2/3 innings.  He has started eight games but so his 40 innings works out to five innings a game.  Major League hitters can hit a 102 pitch when the pitcher doesn't get put it where it needs to be.   They are also more disciplined than the Triple A guys and will wait until a pitcher puts it in the middle of the plate.

Wood was narrowly beaten out by Mike Leake for the fifth spot in the Reds rotation but is recovering from a slow start of the season. He is 2-4 with a 4.15 ERA but in his last two starts he has allowed just two runs in 14 innings.  He has pitched into the seventh inning in four of his nine starts and lasted at least six innings in seven of the nine..