The Lineup 3.22: Lohse debuts, Rasmus returns
JUPITER, Fla. — A common practice this time of spring is plucking players from the minor-league camp to provide depth for the major-league games. Most often that minor leaguer comes in late in the games, if at all. Every so often, under special circumstances, that minor leaguer will start.
Today is one of those.
Wanting to give Rick Ankiel and Skip Schumaker a day off from the outfield, manager Tony La Russa fetched top prospect Colby Rasmus from the Triple-A roster and will start him at leadoff today against Minnesota. Rasmus’ return is just one of a couple plotlines in this afternoon’s Grapefruit League game. Kyle Lohse is set to make his Cardinals debut, against, of all teams, Minnesota, where he spent the first first 5 1/2 years of his major-league career.
The lineup for Lohse’s first game:
- Colby Rasmus, CF
- Ryan Ludwick, RF
- Albert Pujols, 1B
- Chris Duncan, LF
- Troy Glaus, 3B
- Yadier Molina, C
- Adam Kennedy, 2B
- Kyle Lohse, RHP
- Cesar Izturis, SS
The bench will be the same as a regular-season game, with the plan to use Schumaker as a pinch hitter. The bullpen will be handled like a regular-season game, too, with the intent to get Jason Isringhausen in for an inning on back-to-back days. Others out there in LHP Randy Flores, LHP Ron Villone, RHP Chris Perez, RHP Cliff Politte, RHP Kyle McClellan, RHP Kelvin Jimenez, RHP Hugo Castellanos.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
If Thompson is the fifth starter, does that mean that Reyes will begin the year in Memphis (if not traded)? If so, who is in the lead for the final two bullpen spots? I’ve read that Jimenez has the inside track because of his experience last season. But I also notice that Perez and Castellanos are getting consistent work. Perez makes less sense as a long-man, but he does seem to offer the most upside for set-up help. That said, how is Kinney progressing?
Thompson has fifth starter means Reyes will be in the Memphis rotation, unless he is traded. Yes. That leaves the same RHP for the two bullpen spots that have been mentioned often in here, with Kelvin Jimenez atop the group, Kyle McClellan and Chris Perez dueling and Cliff Politte making a last-week push. Hugo Castellanos has a lot of fans in the coaching staff and his versatility may enhance his candidacy for the spot.
Perez will not be a long man for the club, that’s right. Most he’ll pitch is two innings.
McClellan could be that long man. Also, Thompson could serve in that role — as the fifth starter may only appear sporadically through the first month and that’s part of why Thompson has the edge over Reyes because he can be used as a reliever.
Kinney is considered about a week or so behind Mulder, to give you a frame of reference.
dg
Where is Brian Barton? The guy wasn’t listed as being on the bench yesterday, he didn’t play, and he’s not starting today. Is he okay?
Barton had some tightness in a leg muscle today and did not play for precautionary reasons. Just asked La Russa about it and he said Barton is “good to go for tomorrow.”
dg