Contenders Coming up Aces
Stan McNeal - SportingNews.com
Aug 31, 2009
Reinforcements are on the way. Big-league rosters expand from 25 to 40 players Tuesday, allowing clubs to call up promising prospects to help them through the stretch.
An added boost is coming, too, for three contenders welcoming -- or welcoming back -- former All-Star starting pitchers.
Braves: Tim Hudson
Hudson returns in the thick of the race to face one of the Braves' closest competitors. He is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Marlins.
Hudson hasn't pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year but has remained in the Braves' 2009 plans, though he could have returned as a reliever.
"The decision to use Tim as a starter was complicated by how well our starters were throwing, " Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "We had to consider every possibility to best utilize his ability and stuff to help down the stretch."
Angels: Scott Kazmir
The left-hander, acquired from the Rays last Friday, is scheduled to debut with his new team Tuesday at Seattle. The Angels are running away with the AL West but acquired the 25-year-old as insurance if they are unable to re-sign free-agent-to-be John Lackey.
The Angels also are looking for a potential postseason boost. Kazmir is 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA this season against their October nemesis, the Red Sox.
White Sox: Jake Peavy
Peavy worked 3 1/3 innings in his last rehab start before exiting with forearm tightness that wasn't believed serious. He will be examined today and, says manager Ozzie Guillen, "If this guy is clean, I don't see why not pitch him."
Peavy will not work in the White Sox's key three-game series at Minnesota that begins today or in Thursday's makeup game at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. "Don't want to take that risk," says Guillen, concerned that Peavy possibly could aggravate his ankle injury running the bases.
Peavy, acquired from the Padres at the trade deadline, likely will debut against Boston this weekend.
This story appears in the Aug. 31, 2009, edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free. Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
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