Scott Feldman has been in and out of the Rangers’ rotation all season, but it looks like he’ll finish the year in the bullpen after a demotion there yesterday.
Ron Washington decided to make a change after Feldman coughed up six runs in just 2.2 innings against the Mariners on Saturday, so the Rangers will bump him to the bullpen while moving rookie Martin Perez into the rotation.
Perez made three starts for the Rangers earlier this season, allowing seven runs in 17 innings, and tossed 4.1 scoreless innings Saturday in relief of Feldman. He’s been considered one of the game’s top pitching prospects for the past 3-4 years, but Perez’s numbers in the minors this season weren’t particularly impressive and the Rangers are definitely taking a risk by relying on the 21-year-old.
On the other hand Feldman went 5-11 with a 5.52 ERA in 20 starts for a team that’s 87-59, so Perez won’t have to be great to represent a major upgrade.
