Paul Janish got the start Friday night. He ended up 0 for 2 with a run scored. He was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat, and ended up scoring on a single and a forceout.
His last at-bat was a deep fly out to left. It sounded good off the bat - that ringing thunk you get when a player gets all of it. I thought it might go out for a brief moment, but it was too high. The fielders had all the time in the world to set up under it.
Still, a good sign, I think. He just missed it.
Edgar Renteria (who had the extra-innings walkoff hit last night) gets the start tonight. I would guess Janish will get the start tomorrow: day game after a night game.
Dusty seems to be arranging things so Renteria gets the starts against lefties. Renteria's left/right splits are extreme, especially this year. Weirdly, Janish's are reversed. He's hitting .171 / .209 / .195 against lefties, and .245 / .274 / .296 against righties. Odd, because he's been much better against lefties for most of his career. A fluke, or have they found a hole in his swing?
Zack Cozart had his brace removed Thursday, and played catch and hit off a tee yesterday. He'll get some swings against underhand throws today. If his progress continues, he'll be ready when he's eligible to be activated off the DL (August 8). If he's ready by then, Janish will probably be sent down again. There simply isn't time for him to make a case for himself, with only a week left, and playing roughly half the games.
Labels: Paul Janish
