Colby Lewis cannot return to the big leagues fast enough, and now that may be delayed a little bit due to some right triceps soreness according to T.R. Sullivan. The hope, for me at least, is that when Lewis comes back, Ogando can move back to the bull pen and Michael Kirkman can go back to the minors. Out of all the pitchers the Rangers have in the pen right now, including youngsters Robbie Ross, Joseph Ortiz and Tanner Scheppers, Michael Kirkman has by far been the worst of them. He has only had a few games where he didn’t give up a run or more. In fifteen games so far in 2013, Kirkman has an ERA of 7.90, he is walking 5.9 batters per nine innings,he has surrendered 21 hits and he has given up 12 earned runs in 13.2 innings pitched. Not acceptable. especially when the rest of the pen has a combined ERA of 2.19.
Now don’t get me wrong, I like and root for Michael Kirkman as a person and I hope he turns it around, but I am tired of watching him try to turn it around at the major league level. He just does not have the stuff right now to get hitters out, and he looks like he lacks the confidence to find it when he is on the mound. He mad last nights game way more interesting than it had to be against the Astros. The Rangers held a comfortable 8-3 lead when Kirkman came in, and Joe Nathan had to come in and clean up his mess before it was all said and done and the final was 8-7. I am not usually one to call for someone to have to go, but if Kirkman stays at the major league level, it is going to be problems for this Rangers squad. You can’t have a first place team and stay there if you have a pitcher in the bull pen that is an automatic problem spot. And that is what Kirkman is right now.
Call me crazy, but after the last three seasons I expect a lot more from this baseball team than I used to, like, I expect them to win the majority of their series and go to the post season every year. In order for that to happen, they have to avoid a meltdown like they had at the end of last season when one of their superstars decided that he was done playing for the season and gave up on the team. Kirkman is not one of the superstars, but he is not helping the Rangers on their quest to win the American League West pennant for the third time in four years. I ma not saying I want him gone or traded or cut, I just want him sent down to try to figure out if he can pitch at this level with any consistency at all. I hope he can, but if he can’t figure it out, I think it is time to move on from him and look at other options.
