Dodgers are already fed up with 6.56 ERA-pitching, excuse-making Mat Latos

Mat Latos has been awful for the Dodgers since they acquired him from the Marlins on July 30 to bolster the back of the rotation, going 0-2 with a 6.56 ERA in five starts.

Thursday night he lasted just four innings, as manager Don Mattingly gave Latos a quick hook and pinch-hit for him in the fifth frame. Latos gave up two runs in each of the first two innings and a total of eight hits in four innings.

And then afterward when speaking to reporters he made excuses for himself and blamed Mattingly’s quick hook, all in one juicy quote:

It’s hard to get into a rhythm. I kind of settled in, put up two zeros up on the board, found my release point. By the time I do that, I’m already out of the game. ... Not being able to get deep in games, being on a quick leash, it’s hard to get into a rhythm whenever you get yanked real fast.

Here’s the thing, though: Mattingly has Latos on a short leash because Latos has done absolutely nothing to warrant not being on a short leash. In addition to a 6.56 ERA in five starts for the Dodgers he had a 4-7 record and 4.48 ERA in 16 starts for the Marlins.

And here’s the other thing: Latos is now on his fourth team in five seasons and everywhere he goes the consensus seems to be that ... well, let’s just say he’s not a lot of fun to be around.

Mattingly seems to already be fed up with Latos. When asked after Thursday’s quick hook how much longer Latos will be in the Dodgers’ rotation, the manager replied: “I’m sure it’s something we talk about.”

Maybe things will be different with his fifth team.

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