Right-handed Rockies Dinelson Lamet has been working as a reliever for the past few years but the Rockies are considering getting back into the loop for him. Manager Bud Black told Thomas Harding of MLB.com that the club are “considering the possibility” of transferring him back to his original gig. Lamet seemed interested in the idea, saying Hardened that “I don’t like the beginning – I love it. But it all depends on what the team wants.”
Lamet, 30, was once considered one of the better starters in the entire tournament. It started off with some positive results as a Padres rookie in 2017, when he posted an ERA of 4.57 in 2017. Tommy John’s surgery later wiped out his 2018, but he continued that by going back to posting ERA 4.07 the following year. He then took things to the next level in the shortened 2020 season, with a diminutive ERA of 2.09 in 12 starts, surging 34.8% of hitters and going. set of 7.5% with a grounding rate of 36.9%. He finished fourth in the National League Cy Young poll that season.
However, the road has become bumpy since then. He dealt with elbow problems at the end of 2020 that kept him out of the knockout stages and those problems will carry over into 2021. He started that year on the injury list. and had trouble returning to the Brothers. He was again on the injury list in June with forearm inflammation and had to train out of the barn when he returned at the end of the season. He ended that year with a 4.40 ERA in just 47 plays.
Padres keeps Lamet relieved in 2022, eventually transferring him to Brewers in Josh Hader trade. He was quickly assigned the assignment by Milwaukee and claimed by Colorado, eventually ending the year with an ERA of 6.12. Here in 2023, he posted a horrendous ERA of 12.66 across 12 appearances before being shortlisted for an overstretched waist injury.
The fact that the Rockies are now thinking of reconsidering the possibility of Lamet kicking is a bit of a surprise given his poor results and health problems in recent years, although there are reasons why. they are open to that. . The club entered the season with a poor rotation on paper and things generally got worse. Germany Marquez Out of action for the remainder of the season due to Tommy John surgery. Antonio Senzatela made a comeback from a torn ACL last year but made the injury list again after just two starts with an elbow sprain. Meanwhile, Noah Davis, Ryan Feltner And Ryan Rolison also available on IL.
Amid all those injuries, the club’s rotation now includes Kyle Freeland, Connor Seabold, Chase Anderson, Austin Gomber And Karl Kauffmann. Freeland is doing well overall, and Anderson got off to a good start after claiming the waiver, but the other three all have ERAs of 5.97 or higher. Overall, the club’s starters have a 5.74 ERA, second only to the Reds and A’s among teams across the majors.
Considering those shared struggles and Lamet’s past outcomes, it’s conceivable that the Rockies would bet on him rediscovering his former form. As Harding’s report notes, the club suggested he experiment with shortening his stride while on the injury list, which seems to be showing some positive signs. Lamet recently joined Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on a detox mission and has achieved some good results. His first game resulted in two runs, but he continued that by throwing 38 pitches in four perfect innings in his next outing, beating four.
An exciting teenage outing doesn’t necessarily mean Lamet will slip back into his 2020 form but getting anywhere close would be a good storyline for a capital Colorado club. few. Not only is it good for them in the short term, helping to stabilize the wobbly rotation, but it could also make Lamet an attractive commercial candidate. He is in his final year of refereeing, having agreed to a salary of $5 million this season. As an upcoming free agent for a club unlikely to make it into the playoff race, he would naturally pop up in the commercial rumors if he seems to be getting his form back. With so many clubs across the league dealing with pitching injuries, he is sure to garner interest by even returning to his 2020 form.
