First pitch: 3 things I heard around MLB clubhouses last week
By Kevin Henry
San Diego Padres: Keep an eye on Ryan Weathers
After the Giants left Denver, the Padres came to town looking to find some momentum in what has been a very disappointing and uneven season. San Diego won the first two games of the series, helping the Padres piece together three consecutive victories for the first time since April 29-May 1.
Helping the Padres get the 3-2 win on Saturday was starting pitcher Ryan Weathers, who has bounced between the rotation and bullpen, as well as Triple-A El Paso and San Diego already this season. Weathers pitched just 3.0 innings in his start on Saturday in Denver but looked sharp, scattering three hits and allowing just one run while striking out two.
Weathers is in line to get the start at home on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays, and Padres manager Bob Melvin believes that the 23-year-old southpaw will be an important piece for San Diego moving forward.
“After a little bit of as tough spot, we want to get him going,” Melvin said, referring to the 7.79 ERA Weathers had put up through his last 17.1 innings pitched. “He’s a guy who is going to be a key guy for us. We wanted to shorten it (his outing) a little bit and let him pitch well and go after it as hard as he can for not as long. I think it ended up being a good thing for him, and he looked better today.”
Watch what Weathers does on Friday against Tampa Bay and if he is used in shorter stints on the mound by Melvin in an effort to harness his potential. Could Weathers be part of bullpen days moving forward? We’ll see.