We’re not going to discuss the 18 runs let up Tuesday night by the Sox. There’s really no need for that. As we mentioned on Twitter, that large number is an anomaly, plain and simple.
What we will discuss is what I feel is not only the main takeaway from the 2nd of the 3-game set versus Minnesota, but maybe the only real takeaway: Jose Quintana’s enormous struggles. As people outside of the direct orbit of the team and organization, we can’t yet say if “Q” has been so bad of late and not been able to go deep into games because of arm fatigue. But with him already being well over his all-time career high of innings pitched in a single season, that certainly seems to be the case.
In his start last week in Baltimore, Jose Quintana started to struggle in the 3rd inning and then looked completely gassed in the 4th. In his start Tuesday, he was done-zo in the 2nd inning, as the Sox headed to the bottom of the 2nd inning down 7-3.
Ventura didn’t have as much patience with Quintana as he did in Baltimore. Credit: Getty Images
Could it be a coincidence? Could he just have happened to get roughed up in the early innings in two consecutive starts? Sure. But that doesn’t explain his pitches being extremely flat and being wild in the strike zone. It’s those reasons why everyone is pretty positive Quintana has just hit a wall. Should he have gotten his start skipped in favor of Dylan Axelrod? Probably, but considering how much access and information manager Robin Ventura and pitching coach Don Cooper have that we do not, I usually trust those types of decisions.
So the question left to answer is what should the team do with Quintana going forward?
While Quintana himself said that he doesn’t think he’s hit a wall, many fans are calling for him to be sat down for the foreseeable future. Heck, many fans want him sidelined for the rest of the year. I’m not ready to call for that quite yet, but it’s clear he needs some time off. Since he’d be in line to go again on Sunday or Monday, we’re just going to have to use the likes of Hector Santiago and Dylan Axelrod, who we discussed yesterday, to fill in.
Skipping one of Quintana’s starts and giving him about a week and a half to rest could be the answer. It could take longer … there’s really no way to know. My guess is that they’ll skip one start and let him go again if he says he feels perfectly fine and looks good in his bullpen sessions; Don Cooper will be able to see if he’s equipped to go out there or not.
Say he doesn’t look good yet again – then he could be shut down until the very end of the year, when the Sox can determine if he’ll help them in their last handful of games or potentially in the playoffs. Obviously this is all opinion and speculation, but I think an abundance of rest could be enough to have him give the Sox a couple more strong performances before it’s all said and done.
While it’s not currently known when Gavin Floyd will return from the disabled list, that’s another variable to consider. Him coming back will ease the pain a bit and not make a Quintana absence, if that’s what it comes to, seem so severe.
Unfortunately folks, everything we’ve just laid out for you is about the best we can do at this point. As I said previously, it’s really just a waiting game from here on out. It just depends what Ventura and Cooper think. When they make up their minds, we’ll make sure you all know not only what their decision is, but what it means for the team going forward.
On the bright side, Dewayne Wise pitched a scoreless 9th inning becoming the first Sox position player to pitch since 1995, and the team set a franchise record for doubles in a game with 10.
So there’s that.