HeraldNet: Dickey back in the bullpen ... for now



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Mariners Blog

August 24, 2008

Dickey back in the bullpen ... for now

Posted at 1:23 pm by By Kirby Arnold

R.A. Dickey has been moved back to the Mariners' bullpen, replaced for Monday night's start by Miguel Batista. It's yet another shift for Dickey, the right-hander pitcher who has bounced more than his knuckleball this season.

I've never met a baseball player who was comfortable when his role changed every few weeks like Dickey's has. He might say he'll do whatever it takes to help the team, but deep down he wants to know if he's a starter or reliever or everyday player or backup.

While it's a puzzling move to stick Batista back in the rotation, especially against a Twins team that thrashed him the last time he started, at least Dickey knows his role now. When he was in the rotation, the Mariners often kept him available out of the bullpen on the day she didn't start in case a starter got in trouble. While it helped the team, it also interrupted his between-starts workout routine.

Now that he's a reliever, Dickey at least can focus on that. Or maybe not.

Manager Jim Riggleman wouldn't say today that this defines Dickey as a reliever the rest of the season even though there will be an over-abundance of starters soon. Carlos Silva could come off the disabled list as early as next week and Brandon Morrow will be called up from Class AAA Tacoma next month and get five starts.

"He’ll pitch out of the pen, and if we need him to start he’ll start," Riggleman said of Dickey. "It just seems like every time we put him in the pen, something happens where we need to start him. I imagine there will be a likelihood it will come up again."

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