by Nick Piecoro - Sept. 19, 2012 10:01 PM
azcentral sports
For weeks, the Diamondbacks had appeared to be leaning toward bringing up right-hander Trevor Bauer from the minor leagues once Triple-A Reno's season ended. Even manager Kirk Gibson said on Tuesday afternoon the organization "thought it would be beneficial to (bring him) back."
But after Bauer struggled in the Triple-A championship game on Tuesday night -- a game Reno won 10-3 over Pawtucket -- the Diamondbacks announced Wednesday that their highly regarded prospect would not be returning to the big leagues, after all.
Although Bauer walked 17 batters in 16 1/3 innings in three minor-league playoff starts, the Diamondbacks said his recent performance was not a factor in the decision to end his season. Instead, they pointed to his innings total and the fact that they didn't want to bump someone from the rotation, go with a six-man rotation or have Bauer pitch out of the bullpen.
Either way, it was clear from listening to General Manager Kevin Towers that the Diamondbacks would like to see Bauer make changes to both how he pitches and in the way he prepares for his starts.
Towers said Bauer still needs to improve his fastball command, which Towers believes is largely responsible for Bauer's high walk total. He also said Bauer tends to get "a little bit strikeout happy," the implication being that he needs to pitch more to contact.
"I think for him, learning how to be a professional and to be a little bit more open-minded," Towers said. "There are a lot of people that want him to be successful. Sometimes when you're a young kid, (learning) to be a big-leaguer and what it takes to be a big-leaguer, handling adverse situations is sometimes tough. I think mentally he's making a lot of progress."
But Towers intimated that he'd like to see Bauer tone down his aggressive throwing program. Bauer is known for being an advocate of long-tossing, something he does between starts and on the days he starts. He credits it for building arm strength and helping him "sync up" his body before pitching.
Towers wondered if all the work Bauer puts in between starts contributed to his fluctuating velocity this season. On Tuesday, Bauer, who gave up two runs and walked seven in 4 2/3 innings, was working with a fastball in the 88-92 mph range. Towers said he witnessed Bauer hitting 95-96 mph while pitching for Mobile early in the season.
Towers said he met with Bauer on Tuesday, congratulating him on his solid season and encouraging him to reflect on changes he might want to make.
"I think it's really going to have to come from him," Towers said. "He's the type of kid that I think he feels pretty strong about the way he goes about doing things. I think he realizes now that after a full minor-league season, pitching every fifth day, it's different than it was in college. You know, saving your bullets."
Bauer had an eventful year. He posted a combined 2.23 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 93 innings between Double-A Mobile and Reno before being called to the majors in late June. But he struggled in four starts, posting a 6.06 ERA with 13 walks in 16 1/3 innings.
He returned to Triple-A and was given a three-week "breather" between starts, something the organization historically has done in the minors for its young pitchers. It was also a chance for Bauer to rest his sore groin, which he said had bothered him for much of the year.
Notes
The Diamondbacks added first baseman Mike Jacobs and outfielder A.J. Pollock to the roster. Jacobs, who while in the Rockies organization last season was suspended for testing positive for HGH, was emotional when talking about his return to the big leagues, where he hadn't been since 2010.
Outfielder Cole Gillespie was designated for assignment to create room for Jacobs on the 40-man roster.
Gibson said tests showed center fielder Chris Young's right quadricep, which he aggravated on Tuesday night, had not worsened. He hoped Young would be available as a pinch-hitter.
20 Sep, 2012
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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/2012/09/19/20120919arizona-diamondbacks-shut-down-rookie-rhp-trevor-bauer-rest-season.html
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