http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/sports/b...all/025942.html



http://blogs.courant.com/redsox/2008/04/ma...s-thursday.html

That seems like the right choice. I wanted to see Wake go in the dome, and its probably not a great idea to start 40+ year olds on short rest.

Should be fun to see how he does.

Wow, just a crazy, crazy week for the Sox.

In regards to the timing of this, Masterson making his big league debut isn't ideal in the view of the Sox for many reasons I don't think I need to list. However, as a fanboy I'm excited as hell to finally see him pitch in the bigs....at the age of 23 no less (though he looks 18).

While viewing his stats (link) over his 4 apperances this season with Portland the most glaring item that jumped out at me is the mere 19 innings he's pitched through 4 games. While I couldn't find his pitch count, he hasn't stretched out beyond 5 innings yet this season. My point: I expect him to be on a strict pitch count today & thus seeing a lot of arms coming from the pen.


Also jumping out: his last start (April 19) he recorded 10 k's in 5 innings. All 10 K's came swinging (Game recap from his 4/19 start)
I noticed his last start was in front of 2,700+ fans...geesh, I know I'd be gumby legs today.

One potential down side I can see: his sinker ball could make for a horrid day for Lugo @ SS.

I'm a Masterson fanboy as well, so I'm just giddy over this. I'm pretty excited his MLB debut is coming earlier in the season instead of a September callup. Doesn't he have a reputation for falling off as the season progresses?

damn Dice K must realy be sick or Francona is being an idiot and being to cautious

The games this week have been very interesting to watch. It is exciting to see the potential depth of the Sox at multiple positions. Obviously this is not a great situation for the team, but it makes for some entertaining games. I plan on kicking back with some Magic Hat tonight and watching another piece of the future team.

FYI: The game today is at 1:30....but don't let that stop the Magic Hats from flowing




I agree and I think it's simply due to the fact that the Sox have been winning.
If the Sox were 2-8 vs 8-2 over the last ten there'd be panic (yes, it's only April) or at least a higher level of anxiety while so many players are sitting out due to injury & flu.

Instead, we're sitting back during the first warm stretch of the season & enjoying possible glimpses into the future of this team & the results thus far have been great. All the while, Tek, Beckett, Coco, Lowell....ah heck, there's too many to name; are getting healthy & even Manny getting himself ejected early before a scheduled off day drew no ire from fans. I think props have to go to the organization for developing so many ready, able players. We seem to have come a long way from 04' when other baseball fans accused the Sox of 'buying the World Series' because so few regular players at that time were home grown.


Let's hope Masterson continues the trend today!

Two time world series winning manager, and 8 - 0 in games to boot is an idiot? Call me one also then.

I think we can pretty much rule out the possibility that Francona is such an idiot that he wouldn't start Matsuzaka were he available.

This is the right move. Give the kid a shot and try to keep the rotation slots as intact as possible thru the cold and flu season.

FWIW: some other options they had was Wakefield on short rest, Tavarez (pitched 1.2 innings on Tuesday) and Charlie Zink (the pitcher scheduled to start today for Pawtucket). I'm not familiar with Zink at all but his stats this season look very respectable & he's coming off of 5 days rest.(stats link)


Edit:
Negative thought for the day - All these kids getting called up bring back the flu to AA & AAA and the entire Sox organization comes down with the flu.

Edit #2:
Sorry for the first edit

Where's Bartolo Colon in the wake of all these emergency starts? Still resting the oblique?

I was wondering the exact same thing. This seems like a perfect time to call him up and let him make a start. In fact it seems like the very reason we signed him. So since they haven't given him the ball and rather gave it to Lester on short rest you have to assume he is still resting the oblique. I would be very interested to see him though, and see if he still can get MLB hitters out. If it is that he is still injured than this is just a perfect opportunity missed.

Colon has been throwing again since the oblique, but hasnt pitched in a game.


Oh yeah, he ALSO has the flu.


http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds..._back_stif.html

Unless I'm mistaken, he also can't be optioned back to Pawtucket without clearing waivers. Why chance it?

They probably want to save Tavarez as a long relief option at this point but he is a reasonable option. As for Zink, I'm not sure they want to subject Cash to catching knuckleballers on back-to-back days especially since he has had to carry the entire catching load this week.

I don't see much downside to giving Masterson the start. If he struggles, they can go to Tavarez early.

I think the choice of Masterson over Zink also has to do with 40 man roster management. It was only a matter of time before Masterson was added to the 40 man roster. I would be suprised if Zink ever contributes at the MLB level and I doubt the team wants to waste a 40 man roster spot on a guy who is basically AAA filler.

The team needs someone to give them a few innings, if Masterson goes out there and induces tons of grounders and has a good MLB debut, then it can only help his trade stock, which in the end also helps the organization whether they choose to keep him or trade him down the road.

Ah, thanks. I probably would have figured that out eventually...

Justin's back up for today's game - despite struggling since returning to AA.I was looking for a thread to see what everyone's thoughts were about him & was surprised that this wasn't being discussed.

I personally don't judge the AA performance based upon raw numbers. I can imagine that management had specific goals in mind when they sent him back down. IE: You need to work on your X, because it just isn't ML ready. Don't worry about you Y because it is fine.

Of course, this is conjecture, but it could be that he was working on things that he was instructed to work on without caring too much about game outcomes.

Its like when a veteran gets knocked around in a AA rehab start and his comments are "I thought I was throwing well. My release point feels right and my X pitch is doing what I expect."

Pretty darn solid game for Masteson: 9 ground balls and 3 fly balls. 6.1 IP 91 pitches 3 hits 1 ER 3 BB and 5 Ks

Congratulations on his first major league win.

I don't think there is any chance of it happening before much later in the season, but a Joba-esque bullpen role in August/September/October for Masterson would be a pretty good addition to the pen.

Tito's saying that Masterson will go to Pawtucket, not Portland. Looks like the play here is to get him ready to compete for a serious BP role in August and September. No doubt, Theo would rather find the additional BP option internally than make a trade. One of MDC, Hansen, Masterson or Ardsma needs to step up and claim it.

Congrats to the kid on a solid start and his first MLB win. I'm ashamed to admit that after the first hit in the first inning I said to my self, "there goes the no no."

Just a heads-up that Masterson is pitching Tue. (6/3) vs. TB (or maybe I'm the only one who hasn't been following the news the last 5 days?):

Justin Masterson: More wins than Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy* and Joba Chamberlain(has one win in relief) combined in 2008. Awesome.

Also, Michael Bowden is looking ridiculous right now, too. Here I sit the day after Big Papi is lost for a month, with Dice K on the DL... and all I can think about is how awesome everything is going with this organization... when you do everything the right way and prepare and execute correctly all the time you fall a** backwards into good stuff like this... love it. Winning begets winning.



*Major League wins only!

I love this kid, he could be a great right-handed specialist out of the pen late in the year.

And he's Jaimaican Me Crazy

One of the things I love about this kid's abilities is his demeanor and poise on the mound. When you give up an early home run and then give up the lead but can come back and throw quality pitches to keep the damage to a minimum (along with a rediculous play by Pedroia) it shows how mature this kid is for his age. He still needs to continue the development of his secondary pitches a bit more to get the kind of consistency it takes to sustain success on the Major League level but for now he is doing what they need.


Somthing though I found interesting was a quote I read in the Globe from a scout of an anonymous team that was at one of his games against either the Angels or Royals. The scout was saying that his sinker isn't nearly as good as Derek Lowe's. All I can say is Derek Lowe didn't have the secondary pitches (once he scrapped is nasty curveball) and maturity (eternal crybaby) that this kid has at a much younger age.

The thing that impresses me most is that he is very effective against LHHs, despite his wacky arm slot. Ive seen plenty of lefties give up on his breaking ball only to see it come in for a strike. Ive seen them duck out of the way of balls that are outside... when youre throwing righthanded sidearm and youre fooling lefties like that... that's impressive. Not to even mention that's he's 6'6" and a sinkerballer... His splits at the MLB level dont show a whole lot at this point, obviously, and I cant find MiLB splits (minorleaguesplits only had 2008 temporarily). Im sure LHH do hit him better than RHH, Im just impressed by how he is fooling guys right now.

I love Masterson as well, he's showed great poise and has been able to step in now that Bartolo and Schill have gone down. Anyone think that he'll be in the Starting 5 by next year, latest by 2010?

It really depends on Wakefield. If he decides to hang them up after this season, than Masterson becomes the 5th man while I believe Bowden becomes the 6th. Otherwise Masterson will be 6th and Bowden will be the 7th. By 2010 he will be a lock in the rotation, provided that he continues to develop his secondary pitches.

Masterson is being called up to replace Aardsma for tomorrow's game out of the pen per NESN (via SOSH).

jackson commented that this might happen in yesterday's game thread, and Sean McAdam had it in ProJo this morning.

Sean McAdam - Masterson may get bump

Masterson could join the Sox as early as today, or perhaps tomorrow, if the Sox end up placing David Aardsma on the disabled list with an unspecified leg injury. Aardsma had his thigh heavily taped yesterday and got treatment for what was probably either a hamstring or quad pull.

“It’s a little bit sore,” Aardsma said yesterday before going out to test the injury, which he said first arose Friday night when he pitched a third of an inning in relief. “We’ll just keep working it out, working it out. We’ll see how it is (today).”

Masterson, who was sent to Pawtucket this month to transition him from the starting rotation to the bullpen, has made three relief appearances in Triple A.

From AP

Red Sox place Aardsma on DL; recall Masterson

ANAHEIM, Calif.—The Boston Red Sox placed David Aardsma on the 15-day disabled list Sunday because of a groin injury, and recalled rookie Justin Masterson from Triple-A Pawtucket to replace him in the bullpen.

...

Aardsma said he was injured July 9 while pitching against Minnesota.

"I feel it right at the longest point in my stride, right where I kind of explode," he said. "It just kind of grabbed me a little bit."


Masterson is with the team Sunday evening and is available to pitch.