With the news that the Texas Rangers placed RHP Rich Harden on the 15-day DL with a stained glut, we might have an Oliver Perez Part Deux on our hands.
In case you aren’t following the Oliver Perez reference, I will explain.
The New York Mets were desperate to get Perez off their active roster, so they put him on the 15-day DL with right patella tendinitis. The reality is, they put him on the DL for sucking, which is a no-no by Major League Baseball standards.
Baseball investigated the situation, and everything checked out. Now with Harden curiously going on the DL, baseball might have another investigation on their hands.
I say “curiously” going on the DL, because the reality is Harden has been terrible for the Rangers. Putting Harden on the DL would allow the Rangers to skip his turn in the rotation, along with freeing up a spot on the roster.
Harden really hasn’t been the pitcher the Rangers were hoping for when they signed him this offseason. I think they expected him to be a five- or six-inning pitcher (which he’s been), but I don’t think they expected him to be this bad.
Harden has a 5.68 ERA in 13 starts this year. More alarming, his velocity is down on his fastball by almost two mph from last year (92.1 to 90.8). It might not seem like a lot, but by baseball standards it is.
His K/9 is the lowest of his career (8.17), and his fly-ball rate is the highest of his career (53.8 percent). I am going to go out on a limb and say that can’t be good pitching in the American League in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the game.
Look for Matt Harrison to replace Harden in the rotation.
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