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| Thursday, May 1 Escobar struggles as closer, moves to rotation ESPN.com news services |
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Manager Carlos Tosca said Thursday the struggling Escobar will no longer be the closer.
Escobar, who keeps getting shuffled from the bullpen to the rotation, has a 13.06 ERA and three saves. The 27-year-old right-hander has allowed 26 hits in 10 1/3 innings.
Tosca said Cliff Politte will be Toronto's new closer for now.
Escobar saved 14 games for Toronto in 1997, but was used primarily as a starter in 99' and 2000. He set up Billy Koch in 2001 and saved 38 games last season.
"Everybody is comfortable with the decision," Tosca said. "He's a four-pitch guy."
Escobar is a free agent after the season. Reliever John Rocker is ready to launch his comeback.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays assigned the left-hander to Double-A Orlando on Thursday. The former Atlanta, Cleveland and Texas closer signed a minor league contract on April 10 and spent the last three weeks in extended spring training.
Rocker, 28, has spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues, including three with the Braves, where had 38 saves in 1999. He has 88 career saves with a 3.40 ERA in 278 games.
Rocker hopes to regain the form he had before his career plummeted after the pitcher made insensitive remarks about minorities, gays and others in a 1999 Sports Illustrated article. He was released by the Rangers in October after spending most of last season on the disabled list with bursitis in his left shoulder.
It was the Rockies' first personnel move of the season. To make room for Sweeney on the 40-man roster, right-hander Denny Stark was moved from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. Stark went on the 15-day DL March 29 because of a strained upper back muscle. Richard was injured running out a double in the fourth inning Wednesday night. Manager Clint Hurdle said Richard also was experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired left shoulder. Richard played in 19 games this season and was hitting .222 with a homer and three RBI. Sweeney was hitting .236 at Colorado Springs with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBI. The Rockies optioned right-handed reliever Scott Elarton to Colorado Springs on Thursday after Elarton completed a rehab assignment with the Triple-A team. Elarton had shoulder surgery a year ago. He is 0-2 with a 4.60 ERA in four starts with Colorado Springs.
The move is retroactive to Sunday, one day after Fetters allowed one hit in a scoreless inning against the Chicago White Sox. The right-hander originally went on the DL April 6 with a strained left hamstring and made four appearances since coming off the DL on April 20. He reinjured it warming up Wednesday, when the Twins beat Tampa Bay 8-5. Overall, Fetters has not allowed a run in five outings this season, yielding just two hits in six innings. To take his roster spot, the Twins recalled right-hander Juan Rincon from Triple-A Rochester.
The Padres replaced the 21-year-old Perez with left-hander Mike Bynum. After losing 8-5 to the Pirates on Wednesday night, Perez fell to 1-3 with an 8.23 ERA in six starts. It was the fifth time in six starts that Perez failed to pitch past the fifth inning. Perez had 24 walks and 25 strikeouts in his six starts. "We think too much of him to leave him up here and let him struggle," manager Bruce Bochy said. "We'll let him go down to Triple-A where there's a more relaxed atmosphere and he can work on his location and pitches. "He's lost a little confidence and needs to get that back. Hopefully he'll be back up after two or three starts." Perez made his big league debut last year, going 4-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 16 games. |
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