Ubaldo Jimenez is having a hell of a bad year. He’s winless while posting a 5.86 ERA in nine starts. The problem, as Dave Krieger notes in the Denver Post, is velocity:
In separate conversations with Jimenez and Apodaca over the weekend, they agreed on one thing: Ubaldo’s velocity is not what it was a year ago. Then, he was routinely in the upper 90s, occasionally touching triple digits. Now, he vacillates between the high 80s and low 90s.
Specifically speaking he’s averaging 93 m.p.h. with his fastball this year, down from 96.1 in 2010. Neither Apodaca nor Jimenez have a good explanation for it. Nagging ailments, suggests Jimenez. Being too fine with his control suggests Apodaca. Neither is willing to go all-in with the explanation. Of course the specter of a major, as opposed to a nagging injury is always there, but no one really wants to go there.
Either way, if Jimenez doesn’t find the speed soon, he and the Rockies are going to continue to have trouble.
