The departure of Zack Greinke to the Los Angeles Angels opened up an opportunity for right-hander Mark Rogers to move into the Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation. Rogers was having a mostly forgettable season at Triple A Nashville when he was recalled by Milwaukee and given the start on July 29th against the Washington Nationals, the leaders in the N.L. East and a team with a very good lineup.
Rogers was equal to the challenge, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. He gave up a home run to Steve Lombardozzi to lead off the game, but didn't let it get to him. I liked the way he maintained his composure and control of his pitches, striking out seven and walking only one in his first major league appearance since 2010. He pitched well enough to win, but once again the Brewers' bullpen had an epic failure, and Rogers ended up with a no decision in the Nationals' 11 inning 11-10 victory over the Crew.
It's just one game, but Rogers took a big step towards being a part of the starting rotation, not just for this year but also for the 2013 season. With Greinke already gone, and with both Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf probably not returning, there will be openings in the rotation. Rogers was Milwaukee's first round draft pick in 2004, but with his injury filled less than impressive minor league career, he had fallen behind Wily Peralta and Tyler Thornburg among others when the subject of future starters came up. It will be a real plus for the Brewers if Rogers is a late bloomer who is now ready for the big leagues.
Jim Henderson has promising debut
Speaking of late bloomers, reliever Jim Henderson had been in the minors since 2003 but had never been to the majors even as a September call up until he was promoted from Nashville earlier in July. A veteran of three different major league organizations, it's likely he was tagged as a career minor leaguer after all this time. Henderson pitched well this year and had 15 saves and a 1.69 ERA in 35 appearances with Nashville. With the Brewers' bullpen imploding, Milwaukee had nothing to lose by giving him a chance. The early results are good: three appearances, one hit and no runs in 2 1/3 innings.
If Henderson continues to pitch well, I'd like to see him eventually tried as the eighth inning setup man or even given a chance to close a game or two the rest of the way this season. He can't possibly be any worse than the current group of relievers, and a good showing should earn him a shot at making the Opening Day roster next season.
A Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, Mark Hudziak has been a fan of the Brewers since they moved to Milwaukee in 1970.
Sources:
Nashville Sounds Official Website
Nats' Morse hits tying HR, go-ahead double in 11th
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