On Monday we discussed the fact that Colby Lewis desperately needed a solid outing on Monday night against the Oakland A's back at the site of his last big-league game before missing nearly two years of action after two unrelated surgeries.
What transpired on Monday night was far from solid, and it's plainly evident now that Lewis, as Rangers fans remember him and love him, is no longer in the picture.
Still the greatest postseason pitcher in Rangers history and a guy that's loved for his competitive spirit, Lewis just doesn't have it anymore. And the fact is, he probably shouldn't even be in a big-league starting rotation — maybe not even on a big-league roster.
The problem is, the Rangers have already exhausted their pitching options this year with guys like Joe Saunders, Nick Martinez and Nick Tepesch playing key roles. Lewis is the worst of the bunch right now, but the team is still loyal to him and his grit and guts. To an extent, they should be, but when Derek Holland returns, and if he's healthy, expect to see Lewis out of the mix.
That is, unless he somehow turns things around between now and then, but at this point that seems unlikely. Lewis went 5 1/3 innings on Monday night, which was his average outing entering the night. He got the win to improve to 5-4, but saw his ERA rise to 5.97. He's still without a quality start since 2012 and just gets hit too much, and too hard.
Lewis' stuff just isn't there anymore, and that was a strong possibility as he become the first starting pitcher to ever attempt a comeback after the hip resurfacing surgery he had last year. Lewis is one of the team's all-time bulldogs and fighters, and he still has those qualities. Unfortunately for him, he just doesn't have the stuff to go with it anymore.
It's a sad realization to come to, but Lewis just isn't a big-league pitcher anymore.
