Impact Analysis: Bartolo Colon, Boston Red Sox

May 30, 2008 @ 14:06:13

By Fraser Lovat
Edited by Herija C. Green

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Bartolo Colon was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket and made his 2008 major league debut Wednesday, May 21, against the Kansas City Royals after a rehab stint in the minors. Colon was suffering from a strained right oblique muscle, an injury he suffered in early April. To make room on the roster the team sent starting pitcher Justin Masterson to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Colon made a few starts at Triple-A Pawtucket before being recalled by the Red Sox. He went 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in three starts for the PawSox.

He earned the win in his first start of the season after allowing only six hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking two in five innings pitched against the Royals. The 35-year-old also won his second game in as many appearances after allowing only five hits and one run while striking out four and walking one in seven innings against the Seattle Mariners.

For the season, Colon is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, eight strikeouts and only three walks in 12 innings of work.

If Colon continues to pitch the way he has in his last two starts, expect Boston to keep him in the rotation. Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell spoke highly of the veteran flame thrower after his first win of the season and inferred the team was going to keep Colon in the rotation.

The Dominican native won the 2005 American League Cy Young Award with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by going 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and 157 strikeouts in 222 2/3 innings pitched. However, Colon has struggled since the Cy Young campaign and has failed to reach even 100 innings in two consecutive seasons. He was 7-13 with a 5.90 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP in 155 2/3 innings over the previous two seasons combined.

If Colon is injured or the team feels he is struggling to produce, look for pitcher Clay Buchholz (fingernail) to step into the rotation and fill the void. However, the team limited Buchholz to 63 pitches in his first rehab start and may look to take their time in bringing him back to the majors. However, they could alter their plans with Buchholz if starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (shoulder) is forced to miss a start due to shoulder fatigue. Matsuzaka's next scheduled turn is Monday, June 2.

Injury history

Some of Colon's struggles the past few seasons can certainly be attributed to injuries. A shoulder injury severely limited Colon in 2006, and he finished the season 1-5 with a 5.11 ERA in just 10 starts. While in 2007, Colon was on the 15-day disabled list twice, missing time in early April and then being out from late June to mid-September.

Fantasy baseball outlook

If you have Colon on your fantasy roster then you want to hang onto him and play him while he is in the Red Sox starting rotation. If he is available in your league, feel free to scoop him up regardless of format. However, keep in mind the team may look to shuffle Masterson and Buchholz into the rotation, especially if Colon struggles with consistency.

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Fraser Lovat
Fraser is a Hot off the Wire Analyst with KFFL and has been with the company since 2007.

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