HI NOTES: Tepesch Injured, Tigers Don't Gator Done

MU IN THE MAJORS

#Rangers' depleted rotation might take another hit. RHP Nick Tepesch leaves game early after taking liner to forearm: d-news.co/kgaIa

— DMNSportsDay (@SportsDayDFW) April 21, 2013

♦ Grimm, Tepesch look to step up in Harrison’s place (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Texas Rangers pitcher Justin Grimm wasn’t pleased to hear the news that Matt Harrison will have back surgery and will be sidelined longer than expected.

“It’s a shame,” Grimm said. “He was a key piece to the pitching staff and an unbelievable guy too.”

But Grimm is also aware that Harrison’s setback gives him more of an opportunity to prove himself. Same goes for Nick Tepesch, as the two rookies are expected to stay in the rotation for the foreseeable future...

♦ Tepesch leaves game after taking liner off arm (mlb.com)

Rangers starter Nick Tepesch had to leave Saturday's game in the second inning after getting hit on the right arm with a line drive off the bat of Mariners catcher Jesus Montero.

Tepesch had retired the first two hitters of the inning and five of the first six batters he faced before Montero smacked a line drive up the middle. The ball hit off Tepesch's pitching arm just above the wrist and ricocheted into center field for a hit.

The ball left a bloody gash on Tepesch's arm. Trainer Jamie Reed, manager Ron Washington and trainer Jamie Reed were headed toward the mound even before Montero was finished rounding first base.

Tepesch tried to stay in the game and threw several pitches as a test. But the Rangers decided instead to bring in reliever Derek Lowe. Tepesch ended up throwing 21 pitches...

GAME DAY

♦ Missouri baseball lags in SEC (The Maneater)

Missouri is averaging 4.18 runs per game.

The Tigers currently have the lowest on-base percentage and are also the cellar dwellers in number of hits, runs and RBIs in the conference. To get to the next lowest team in each of these categories, Missouri would have to swat 68 hits, plate 45 runs and drive in 30 RBIs...

GAME 2: 4-3 Loss

♦ Florida beats Missouri in 15 innings (Columbia Tribune)

Steele's unexpected relief outing — he threw 109 pitches — forces Jamieson to start freshman Alec Rash today. He said he had planned to start Steele.

"Hopefully, he can come out and get us to the middle of the game," Jamieson said of Rash, who has a 4.57 ERA.

If not, Missouri could suffer yet another SEC sweep...

♦ Missouri third baseman Shane Segovia continues to struggle in loss (Columbia Missourian)

It was Missouri third baseman Shane Segovia’s shot at redemption. A base hit in the bottom of the 15th inning Saturday would make it all OK.

The ball he bobbled half-an-inning earlier that lead to Florida’s go-ahead run wouldn’t matter.
...
The night before, Missouri head coach Tim Jamieson pinch-hit for Segovia in the bottom of the ninth, a decision that haunted him after his replacement, Jake Ivory, struck out looking.

“I second guessed it,” Jamieson said. “Even though Shane’s struggling, he probably was still the best option at that point.”...

GAME 1: 8-6 Loss

♦ Missouri pitcher Zastryzny blames himself in loss to Florida (Columbia Missourian)

Friday’s shellacking was the second in as many weeks for Zastryzny, a sore subject after the loss to Florida.

“That’s two weekends in a row they’ve scored more than five runs for me and I couldn’t get the ‘W,’ ” Zastryzny said. “That’s gonna change. I’m not gonna let that happen ever again.”
...

♦ Tigers fall as UF knocks out 18 hits, 10 with two outs (Columbia Tribune)

"What we talked about: 'A lot of balls weren't hit very hard, but you guys have gotta make pitches in those situations,' " Missouri Coach Tim Jamieson said. "A lot of times, we were just one pitch from getting out of the inning. We score six runs, 12 hits offensively on a Friday night, you'll take that — in any conference. We had to stop the bleeding. We didn't do it on the mound."..

MU IN THE MINORS

♦ Will Kyle Gibson Make it to the Majors in 2013? (Rant Sports)

So far this season at Triple-A, Gibson has a 0-2 record over three starts with a 4.11 ERA with 16 hits, seven runs and three walks compared to 15 strikeouts over 15.1 innings. The strikeout rate and strikeout to walk ratio still seems to be solid, but Gibson’s ERA is cause for concern. There had been a belief that Gibson was still struggling with his command, which was resulting in his high ERA, but his ability to average a strikeout per inning still provides optimism that Gibson has regained his pre-injury form and may be ready for a promotion to the majors in the near future.

I am concerned with Gibson’s high ERA and I believe that he will need to lower the ERA to around 3.00 if he wants to be promoted to the majors. If Gibson is having a tough time getting hitters out consistently at the Triple-A level, despite his high strikeout rate, than a promotion to the majors will not cure this problem and only make it worse. Gibson must find a way to get hitters out in other ways besides striking them out and when he does, he will be a dominant pitcher at the big league level...