St. Louis Cardinals slate Lance Lynn to start Thursday’s game against Los Angeles Dodgers – MLB News
The St. Louis Cardinals have decided to bring in pitcher Lance Lynn to replace Jake Westbrook for Thursday’s start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Westbrook had injured his right oblique muscle, which was a worrying development not only for himself, but also for the club as a whole.
Given the significance of the game to be played against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lance Lynn was deemed the most deserving replacement.
Previously, the name that surfaced for the role was that of the youngster Shelby Miller. The young rookie nonetheless, could not make it considering the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals need an experienced pitcher to fill the spot at this crucial juncture.
The Cardinals are currently occupying the Wild Card spot, something that they do not want to lose. While the Pittsburgh Pirates are also competing for the role, the Cardinals currently seem the biggest claimant.
To hold that, Lance Lynn can play an instrumental role in the game scheduled against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The team manager Mike Matheny explained the reason why the Cardinals opted for this choice.
"A lot of thought went into it," said Matheny. "Being in L.A., being against L.A., being where we are right now, it's a lot to throw on a young player. Lance has been a pitcher that's pitched in as high-leverage situations as anyone. We know that's not going to affect him, and we believe in his stuff."
The general manager John Mozeliak, on the other hand, seems to be completely endorsing that choice. "Lynn obviously deserves an opportunity again," said general manager John Mozeliak.
Lance Lynn has made 25 starts this season in his 31 appearances. With 4.04 ERA, he holds 14-7 record, having had 150 strike-outs with 1.36 WHIP. The 25-year-old player has an experience of a year in Major League Baseball.
The choice to go for this player seems understandable given the fact that Shelby Miller has only recently been promoted to the Major League. It will be interesting to see if Lance Lynn does execute the plan as the Cardinals have chalked out in the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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