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player ready...Rick Sutcliffe will rejoin the rotation Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Sutcliffe, who made his last start May 26, will become the fifth starter in manager Jim Essian`s expanded rotation.
”I`m planning on starting from here on out, but I`m going to have to take somebody`s job” if Essian goes back to a four-man rotation, Sutcliffe said. ”I know we`ve got 15 or 20 games coming up, then some off days. If I want to stay in the rotation, I`ve got to get out of that No. 5 spot.”
Sutcliffe will throw on the sidelines again Sunday. He said he feels strong enough to pitch more than four or five innings Tuesday. ”I`m prepared to go nine,” he said. ”I`ve thrown 120 pitches in a minor-league game. That won`t be a problem.”
– Shawon Dunston met with Essian to express his displeasure over splitting playing time with Jose Vizcaino.
Essian told him he`d continue to use his shortstops ”as I see fit. He wants to play, just like any player. If he`s confused about why he`s not in the lineup, he`s free to come to me on it. He did come to me and say he wanted to play more. It was no big deal.”
Though Essian denies it, he appears to have gone to a platoon system with his shortstops. Vizcaino started Friday night for the third time in five games. Vizcaino went into the game batting .300 left-handed (21 for 70) and .259 right-handed (7 for 27). Dunston was hitting .224 (74 for 330).
Vizcaino has been charged with four errors in 61 games.