Ramon Troncoso's comeback bid for Dodgers will have to continue in the minors
Once he was this great find, this surprising sensation who had unexpectedly made himself a valuable part of one of baseball’s best bullpens.
Then … what?
Ramon Troncoso still looked the part of a great, young, right-handed reliever early in 2010. Then it began to slip away, and he has struggled ever since to find himself.
Even after a strong start this spring, he could not keep it going. And on Sunday, he was optioned back to the minors.
This hardly means the end for the 28-year-old Dominican, but he will once again have to try to right himself at triple-A Albuquerque, something he could never truly do there last season (5.73 ERA, 1.55 WHIP).
There had been concern that Joe Torre had gone to him too often last April (15 appearances in a 21-game stretch, though only 13 innings) and worn him out.
Then Troncoso had started so well this spring (no earned runs in his first 4 1/3 innings), it appeared he was back on track. Some already gushed he had made the team.
But in his last five appearances, he gave up six earned runs (10.80 ERA) and was once again headed back to the minors.
Since the Dodgers released Ron Mahay and optioned Travis Schlichting back to the minors Saturday, the final bullpen spot will apparently come down to left-hander Scott Elbert or right-hander Lance Cormier.
The Dodgers would prefer to have Elbert as a second lefty in the bullpen, but after an encouraging stretch he gave up three runs in one-third of an inning Saturday and now has a 7.50 ERA this spring.
In eight innings this spring, Cormier has a 2.25 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP.
-- Steve Dilbeck
It looks like El Tronco has reach the point with a fork in the road, he'll either go and returned to his old good stuff or go to the end of the road.
Posted by: OldBrooklynFan | 03/27/2011 at 03:23 PM
"the end of the road"
- pitching in Albuquerque IS the end of the road... an LA separation anxiety even more painful than via employing the Slauson Cutoff.
Posted by: 16blows | 03/27/2011 at 04:57 PM
The Dodgers would have to be fools to send Cormier down and keep Elbert. Lance is an established major league relief pitcher.
Elbert is years of woulda shoulda coulda.
Don't sacrifice team success based on options a player has available.
Posted by: agua lung | 03/27/2011 at 07:56 PM
keep Cormier, as Elbert has proven time-&-again that he just "ain't-got-it"....
geesh, Troncoso ought to make the team b4 Elbert!!!!
Posted by: NoElbertPlease | 03/27/2011 at 08:46 PM
Following the game Saturday on mlb.com GameDay, it was obvious what Troncoso's problem is. Every sinker, was waist high and above. The only pitches below the belt were curve balls and he couldn't throw strikes with them. A high sinker is like a slow, straight fast ball or a hanging curve.
Tron just needs to keep that sinker down and he'll be back up.
Posted by: Airedale | 03/28/2011 at 04:53 AM
Tron just needs to keep that sinker down and he'll be back up.
.
Posted by: Airedale | 03/28/2011 at 04:53 AM
So what you're saying then is as long as he's up, he's down.
Posted by: Unger Oveur Oveur Dunne | 03/28/2011 at 09:26 AM