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After Saturday’s debacle, it appears Cubs starting pitcher Rich Hill may need a vacation. Not the kind where he slathers on the sunscreen and enjoys an umbrella drink by the ocean, but the kind where he is jettisoned from the starting rotation until he figures out his issues. Hill was pulled after just two thirds of a inning against the Cardinals on Saturday. It was a meltdown of sorts, as he walked four of the six batters he faced and appeared completely lost after getting extra time between his starts in order to figure out his inconsistent results on the mound this season. The result was the threat that he could lose his spot in the rotation to young hurler Sean Marshall.
“Hill can’t start like this in the big leagues — c’mon,” manager Lou Piniella told MLB.com. “Every time he pitches, it’s an adventure. He’s doing his best, but we have no bullpen. I don’t know what the solution is, but I can’t start him any more until this thing gets taken care of.”
The fireballing Cubs pitcher didn’t need his manager’s quote because he felt plenty disgusted as it is, saying, “It’s embarrassing to go out there and throw the ball that way, and know that you’re far better than that and a far better pitcher than that.”
So what happens next? It’s difficult to imagine the Cubs getting the feedback they need on how Hill’s command is progressing from something as simple as bullpen sessions. It would seem likely that a move to the bullpen or Triple-A Iowa would be the only way to boost his confidence and get his control dialed back in. Neither possible scenario has been discussed in depth (at least to my knowledge) within the Cubs organization, but it seems to be the road that Hill’s 2008 season is heading down.
Fantasy owners shouldn’t bail on Hill just yet, but it will leave an obvious void in their lineup. His possible replacement (Marshall) brings a solid groundball approach to the table, but his control and command aren’t noticeably better than Hill’s. If you need a possible waiver claim to cover the spot in your rotation, consider the Athletics’ Chad Gaudin, Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez, Indians’ Aaron Laffey, Pirates’ Paul Maholm, Rays’ Andrew Sonnanstine, or Cardinals’ Joel Piniero.
EDITORS NOTE: Approximately an hour after this post, the Cubs demoted Hill to Triple-A and recalled promising prospect Sean Gallagher. Gallagher has plenty of potential in the long-term, but it’s veteran Jon Lieber who will be replacing Hill in the rotation. Lieber has had his ups and downs throughout his career, but he’s certainly a decent filler for the back of rotations in deep mixed leagues.
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