Phantom Injury Time
Daisuke Matsuzaka has to be, at least temporarily, removed from the rotation. Forget about the money (sunk cost), forget about the Revenue Streams™. Right now, this pitcher is a walking 6-run loss. It shouldn’t be tolerated in an organization with so many talented starters.
The six-man rotation idea is a bad one for two reasons: 1) It includes Daisuke Matsuzaka in the rotation, when he is not fit to be pitching in the major leagues at the moment, and 2) it is an unnecessary change in routine for 5 other good starters who are all used to 4 day rest. Let’s take the six-man rotation off the table.
Since we do know that he has the ability to be a pretty good starter, he’s still young, and, well, he has an ironclad no-trade clause, we can’t just jettison the guy. So, one thing must happen. It must be discovered that Daisuke has some sort of injury. Yeah, that’s the ticket, that’s why he’s been pitching like festering coyote shit. He’s got an injury, see? This is the only rational move to make at this point.
Daisuke, you have a stained oblique. No, no, you don’t feel fine, listen to me: you have a strained oblique. Please take a week off, then go directly to Lowell for a rehab assignment. Hopefully during a three week absence from the major leagues you will remember how to fucking pitch…er…I mean…that oblique strain will be healed.
We can only hope that the same medicine used on Clay Buchholz to cure his issues last season will work on Matsuzaka. We know he has the stuff, we know he has the ability to get major league hitters out. He’s lost, and needs to find his way. He can start looking in Single-A ball.
John Smoltz, come on down.
Well said.