Ruddy De La Rosa pitching for the Paw Sox on May 18. (Photo by Kelly O’Connor via SittingStill.smugmug.com)
Even though Rubby De La Rosa hasn’t started in the majors since August 2011 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the young flamethrower will get the ball Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Rays in the place of Clay Buchholz, who is on the 15-day DL with a hyperextended knee.
Buchholz had been struggling with a 7.02 ERA in 10 starts while going 2-4 with no wins in his last four outings. The 29-year-old will resume throwing soon, but he will be on the disabled list as long as it is necessary to try and get back to his 2013 form.
De La Rosa and Allen Webster were up for the empty spot in the starting rotation, but it was the last few outings that really made a difference.
Webster was recently shelled for six runs, but De La Rosa went six scoreless innings over the weekend to solidify a chance at coming up for a few starts. The 25-year-old will be raccled from Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday. He has a solid 3.04 ERA with a 2-3 record with 52 strikeouts in 53.1 innings of work while walking only 23.
Rubby De La Rosa started the season on a tear with a 1.19 ERA through three starts, but has come down a little with an ERA over 4.00 over his last six outings.
Webster has pretty similar numbers and will some time join the staff if other injuries
occur. He was 2-2 with a 3.17 ERA in 59.2 innings.