You're forgiven if you don't know who Eric Stults is. Relative to the world's population, he's been one of few major-league baseball players, but he's 32 and he's got a career 88 ERA+ over 47 games. He's only been in the picture in 2012 because the Padres' starting rotation has been not-literally decimated by injuries, allowing Stults to start four times after coming over from the White Sox.
Eric Stults Hurt, Andrew Cashner Starting
Padres starter Eric Stults has landed on the disabled list, and Andrew Cashner will make the next spot start in his place. Interesting?
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Anyhow, now Stults is hurt. Corey Brock:
#Padres roster move; Stults to DL with strained lat. Saturday starter will be Cashner. Likely to go 3 innings.
— Follow The Padres (@FollowThePadres) June 7, 2012
Nothing against Stults, but the bigger news here might be Cashner. Stults could be out for a number of weeks. Cashner is a fire-balling righty the Padres picked up from the Cubs. He's capable of reaching the triple digits with his fastball, and people have wondered whether he's a future closer or a future starter (or neither). This year he's made 27 appearances out of the bullpen, but if Saturday goes well, he could conceivably stick in the rotation for a while, or forever. If he's effective, and if he can stay healthy, and if that's what the Padres would like.
For now, it's one spot start for Andrew Cashner, and it won't last very long. But this could prove to be the beginning of something.
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