Rangers Scratch Vicente Padilla From Tonight’s Start

Posted on July 22nd, 2009 3:33pm by Evan Grant
Filed under Baseball, Injury report, Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON - The epidemic of flu-like symptoms running through the Rangers’ clubhouse has knocked another player on his back.

RHP Vicente Padilla, who was scheduled to start tonight against Boston, was scratched Wednesday afternoon because of the bug. The Rangers had to send LHP Eddie Guardado home on Tuesday when he reported ill and SS Omar Vizquel was scratched from the starting lineup on Tuesday as well. RHP Frank Francisco also has pnuemonia and was placed on the DL on Monday. The Rangers don’t believe Francisco’s condition and that of the other three players is related.

Assistant GM Thad Levine, who handles all inquiries about club health issues, said on Tuesday night that the team was taking precautions to ensure that whatever is running through the clubhouse does not become a team-wide issue. He said the Rangers are not concerned about the Swine Flu.

The Rangers are expected to patch the game together with relievers with RHP Dustin Nippert starting. RHP Willie Eyre, who was called up Monday, and RHP Jason Grilli could also be asked to pitch multiple innings.

Padilla has been one of the club’s most effective pitchers for the seven weeks since the Rangers placed him on waivers. His first start after clearing waivers was at Boston on June 7. He went seven innings and allowed three runs (two earned) in that game.

Padilla

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17 Comments to “Rangers Scratch Vicente Padilla From Tonight’s Start”
  • Jesse @ July 22nd, 2009 at 3:52 pm

    Freakin’ Nippert. So much for a sweep…

  • Landon @ July 22nd, 2009 at 3:57 pm

    Wow, can you imagine what they’ll be saying in Boston if the Red Sox can’t get out of their offensive slump against our Nippert/Eyre/Grilli combo?

  • Fox @ July 22nd, 2009 at 4:01 pm

    No sign of calling anyone up from AAA with the bullpen already stretched thin?

  • S. Arcasm @ July 22nd, 2009 at 4:09 pm

    Is Mathis still up or did he get sent back down? He was a starter so he should have multiple innings in him.

  • RAT @ July 22nd, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    It’s probably thanks to that umpire using the home dugout to puke in several times after getting hit in the gonads.

  • Josh @ July 22nd, 2009 at 4:17 pm

    Nippert and Eyre will be tough to watch. I like Grilli, but my guess is that by the time he gets in the game, it will be out of hand. Shame the roster is in such disarray at the moment, would be nice to keep this lil run going.

    Hindsight being what it is, I still think pulling Hunter out last night so early made tonight’s decisions even harder. I don’t get the idea behind pulling him when he had such a low pitch count and was battling.

  • Chris Hartman @ July 22nd, 2009 at 4:22 pm

    Are we cursed???

  • Landon @ July 22nd, 2009 at 4:24 pm

    And of course THIS is the game that is nationally televised.

  • Longhorn Matt @ July 22nd, 2009 at 4:36 pm

    Hopefully Nippert can at least make it into the fourth inning this time. Is five innings too much to hope for? Maybe so. It sounds like time for the Rangers offense to light up Buchholz. Come on boys, get ‘er done!

  • Landon @ July 22nd, 2009 at 4:49 pm

    It’s been a while since we’ve had a 12-10 win. I’d take one of those tonight!

  • Tom B @ July 22nd, 2009 at 4:50 pm

    So, there is a 25 man active and 40 man for supplemental E-Z-Adds. I don’t understand management’s viewpoint on personnel moves. We are playing this game with…What?….20 men active? Somebody has their head where the sun does not shine. I can smell it.

  • scooper @ July 22nd, 2009 at 5:18 pm

    Already, we didn’t know who would close or pitch the 8th. Now, we are scrambling for a starter and hoping we can make it to the back end of the ‘pen. Whoops! There is no “back end of the ‘pen” available tonight! What a mess!

  • scooper @ July 22nd, 2009 at 5:26 pm

    @evan: I’m not well-versed on the minor league rosters. Are there any pitchers at Frisco who are on the 40? Or might they possibly have had someone in town from OKC? By my count, probably only Nippert, Eyre, Mathis and Grilli are available. Am I wrong?
    This is not a position we want to be in against Boston!

  • obagain @ July 22nd, 2009 at 5:39 pm

    Moscoso, mendoza and madrigal could all help right now.

  • scooper @ July 22nd, 2009 at 5:47 pm

    @obagain: I agree, but they are all with OKC. Would our guys have planned ahead enough to get them here? Even just for tonight, we could put Eddie and Omar on the DL, worry about extra infielders tomorrow.

  • AnthonyInAustralia @ July 22nd, 2009 at 6:36 pm

    If you can smell it, Tom B, it must be you…

  • Mark @ July 23rd, 2009 at 7:58 am

    Thought I’d go back and read the comments with the benefit of hindsight. Pretty funny! That’s why we love baseball! Who could have possibly seen THAT game coming??