The San Francisco Giants are playing musical chairs with their pitching staff this year.
Sometimes moves are coming out of need and other times the team is finding it has too many starting pitchers. Tim Hudson, Tim Lincecum and now Matt Cain have or are spending time on the disabled list.
The latest pitcher to head there is Cain, who hasn’t regained his form since sitting out most of the 2014 season (15 games pitched). Cain is suffering from elbow irritation, and there’s a chance he could be shut down for the season. Cain (2-4, 6.15 ERA) told reporters he would be willing to pitch in relief which is what Ryan Vogelsong did earlier this year.
Hudson is the likely candidate to replace Cain on the roster. Rookie Chris Heston, who has been resting in Sacramento, starts today against the Cardinals in Cain’s spot.
It’s nice to have depth on the mound when it’s good depth. However, the Giants’ veterans (Hudson, Lincecum, Peavy and Vogelsong) have not been consistent this year. Madison Bumgarner is the lone shining bright spot these days, but he can’t pitch every day. Heston has been solid for a rookie.
The Giants have some work to do to make the playoffs, and the pitching staff has to be the group that carries the team. A big key will be Mike Leake, who was acquired earlier this year. He gives the team a solid No. 4 starter behind Bumgarner, Heston and Peavy. Vogelsong will be the No. 5 guy. If Lincecum comes back. I see him in a middle relief role. He was brilliant in that role before.
I think the Giants have a better chance of winning the NL West than getting a wildcard berth. The NL Central is stacked with the Pirates, Cardinals and Cubs.
The Giants have gotten outstanding years from Brandon Belt, Joe Panik and Brandon Crawford. The team needs both Panik and Hunter Pence, both on the disabled list, back soon or it could slowly fade away from the pennant race.
Looking at the make up of the Giants, the team needs to go after a veteran utility guy, somebody who can play second, short and third.
The injury to Panik has left the team lacking. Kelby Tomlinson has had some moments offensively, but he’s not the long-term answer. The Giants need a guy in that spot who can hit .270 with some pop. Besides Panik,
Crawford has been dinged up lately, too.
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We will be starting our weekly alumni notebook this coming week. If you know of somebody we missed last year or somebody that has changed schools, please e-mail me at sports@nevadaappeal.com. The notebook will run every Thursday whenever space allows.
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Carson High is still looking for a wrestling coach. Bob Bateman, Carson athletic director, said he had an outside applicant from Las Vegas interested in the position but didn’t have a teaching job to offer with the position.
Assistant coach Justin Shine wants to continue helping, but doesn’t have the time to take on the extra responsibilities of being a head coach.
According to reports, both Tim McCarthy and Jim Franz have been approached regarding the position.
Wrestling has been one of the best programs on campus during the McCarthy and Paul Carter regime, and it would be a shame to see the program take a step back because the school can’t get a quality coach.