Sunday, August 23, 2009

Is Brian Tallet out of gas?

With the Blue Jays on course to shut down rookies Brett Cecil and Marc Rzepczynski in order to cap the amount of innings they’ve thrown this season, there is one pitcher that is curiously being forgotten in the discussion of hurlers that might be maxed out: Brian Tallet.

Tallet has started 19 games for the Blue Jays this season when his previous high in one campaign was 3. Tallet has thrown 65.2 more innings than at any other point in his major league career, and is showing signs of wear and tear. The 31 year old is expected to make a few more starts to replace Cecil and Rzepczynski, but is that a wise course of action?

While Tallet was never as good as his numbers suggested in his first 11 starts, where he allowed more than 3 runs just twice, he surely isn't as poor as his record would indicate as of late. In his last 9 outings, 3 of which were starts, he has struggled mightily, giving up 23 runs in 27.1 innings.

Despite the fact the lanky lefty was a starter in the minors, he hasn't been through the grueling stretch at the major league level. There has been no indication that the club is considering shutting down Tallet, like the others, but the question is, why?