Hoffman back on mound for Brewers
Hoffman back on the bump for Brewers - sort of Trevor Hoffman may be in a class of his own as a closer - he leads the majors all-time with 595 saves - but he'll have to settle for being a setup man for the time being.
Hoffman back on the bump for Brewers - sort of
Trevor Hoffman may be in a class of his own as a closer - he leads the majors all-time with 595 saves - but he'll have to settle for being a setup man for the time being.
Milwaukee put him back in Sunday, but he will be pitching middle innings as he searches for his old form, MLB.com reports.
He's off to a promising start. Hoffman pitched a perfect eighth in a 4-3 interleague win at the Twins on Sunday.
Manager Ken Macha had sidelined him to work with pitching coach Rick Peterson after bad turned to worse Tuesday against the Reds. He gave up three runs in the ninth, failing to get a single out after inheriting a 4-2 lead.
Asked about moving to setup, Hoffman said he was "ready to go. It's about winning ball games."
Gloucester Catholic alum does the region proud
A local boy made good also has a role in Milwaukee's recovering bullpen. The Brewers called up Gloucester Catholic star Zack Braddock, 22, from triple-A Nashville and sent him to the hump Sunday.
The southpaw pitched the sixth and seventh innings in the win over the Twins, giving up one hit, walking one, and striking out two. The Brewers drafted him in 2005.
ESPN.com cautions that "he's likely to be up only as a short-term fix while the bullpen recovers from Saturday's 12-inning loss to the Twins." But MLB.com calls him "a hard-thrower who could someday evolve into a closer."
So we will see. But like your mother always told you, first impressions do go a long way.
It's outta here! His glove, not the ball
Dexter Fowler almost found himself playing barehanded.
In the Rockies' 11-7 interleague win at Kansas City on Sunday, the centerfielder slammed into the wall chasing a long line drive in the seventh and lost his glove. He got the umps' attention for a time-out, scaled the wall, and soon after, the glove came sailing back over.
Noteworthy
Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is out again with soreness between his left thumb and index finger. . . . Reds righty Homer Bailey will be evaluated for tightness in his right shoulder. . . . Braves outfielder Jason Heyward is out with a sore left thumb. . . . The Nats called up outfielder Justin Maxwell from triple-A Syracuse.