Owings optioned to Tucson

by Wimb on Jul 29, 2008 7:49 PM EDT

According to the Diamondbacks website as Peguero gets called up to come into the pen'

It's been discussed over a few other threads but this move seems to make sense after yesterdays meltdown :(

Hopefully he can work on his mechanics for a month or so and make it back with the roster expansion, despite his recent struggles I still see alot of potential out there in that guy.

Petit unsurprisingly will make Owings next scheduled start and the guy does deserve it on the basis of recent displays.

[Wimb posted this while I was working on my piece reporting the same, so let's combine the two under one heading. Jim]

Jack Magruder reports so this afternoon. I imagine this doesn't come as too much of a shock - Petit will replace him in the rotation, as of Saturday, with Jailen Peguero getting to step up from Tucson and move into the bullpen. I imagine that will likely be a short-term assignment, with Juan Cruz almost ready to come back. How long Owings stays down with the Sidewinders is harder to say. There has clearly been something very wrong with him over the last couple of months: is it mechanical or mental, and in either case, is it fixable?

I certainly hope so: it's a shame that a season which started with such promise has now turned around so radically. However, he can take comfort from past history - Jose Valverde was similarly optioned down to Tucson after imploding during the 2006 season, and returned in full force, to lead the majors in saves for 2007. Fingers crossed Micah can be similarly "cured", sort out his command, work on his third pitch, and return to the good form he showed for us during April.

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I assume Peguero is only up until Cruz comes back.

And if I was Price or whoever he’ll be working with, I’d make him throw 75% sliders and change-ups while he’s down there.

Fire Bob Melvin

by nihil67 on Jul 29, 2008 8:01 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for that Jim

Cheers for tidying it up and fleshing it out, best left to the pros this close to my bedtime :)

So...time for another drink then?

by Wimb on Jul 29, 2008 8:06 PM EDT reply actions

Aww

My comment disappeared.

tl;dr: Hopefully Owings will run with the opportunity to get better and not sulk.

Knock off the hippie crap, strap on a helmet, and start shooting. This is baseball, Diamondbacks, I want you to storm that beach like it's Normandy!

by soco on Jul 29, 2008 8:07 PM EDT reply actions

Valverde vs Owings... again

My comment went with the other thread too :)

Valverede and Owings had similar fondness of fastballs and a similar lack of an effective “other” pitch (Valverde – slider, Owings – change). I was wondering if the solution may be the same; the splitter.

Fire Bob Melvin

by nihil67 on Jul 29, 2008 8:11 PM EDT reply actions

Sorry about the commentness

If there was a way to move comments, I would have done so. :-) Thank you for your co-operation and reposting!

by Jim McLennan on Jul 29, 2008 8:13 PM EDT reply actions

Hopefully they can fix whatever is going on with him. The coaches seem convinced it is a mechanical problem. Whatever it is, I would like to see it fixed. I think Micah proved earlier this year that when he is on he is a pretty good pitcher. Perhaps they can also help him develop some secondary pitches to be a bit stronger.

I wonder if the D-Backs will eventually move him into the bullpen?

by SongBird on Jul 30, 2008 1:52 AM EDT reply actions