Audio By Carbonatix
| Yahoo! Sports |
| Mickolio can expect more of these in the future. |
The Arizona Diamondbacks have demoted Kam Mickolio to the minor leagues and recalled Esmerling Vazquez from Triple-A Reno, a move that comes one day after Mickolio almost blew a four-run lead in .2 innings of work.
Mickolio beat Vazquez out for the last roster spot during spring training.
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Mickolio, 26, has pitched sporadically for the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks over the last four years. He came to the Diamondbacks in last off-season’s Mark Reynolds trade. Reynolds still us the same low-average, high-strikeout, modest-power, free-swinger he’s always been, hitting .241/.333/.448 (average/on-base percentage/slugging) to start the year, but it hurts to see his replacement go down to the minors so early. Seems like a waste, doesn’t it?
According to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Mickolio posted a 9.00 ERA with a walk and six strikeouts in four games with the D-backs. He was charged with three runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts over 0.2 innings in his most recent appearance on April 12 vs. Cardinals. Over parts of four seasons with the Orioles and D-backs, he is 0-3 with a 5.10 ERA, with 15 walks and 32 strikeouts in 27 games.
Mickolio has good stuff. He struck out Albert Pujols looking and got Matt Holliday swinging on a curveball in the sixth. But he’s almost seven feet tall and has mechanical issues as a result of his height. He’s young enough that he might be able to find a consistent motion sometime. He wouldn’t be the first big man to find himself after an erratic start to a career. It is unlikely that Mickolio will become the second coming of the Big Unit, but he’s definitely got the talent to become a better pitcher.
