Scott Feldman won 17 games in 2009 and earned a big contract and No. 1 starter status for the Texas Rangers heading into 2010.
Boy, did that fail miserably as he went 7-11 with an ERA nearing 6.00 before being replaced an injury forced him from the rotation (and maybe his performance too??).
This year, pitching primarily as a long relief man and appearing in just seven games after returning from said injury, Feldman has been plenty serviceable. There's been a couple of times when he's come in to clean up after a poor, short start and he's kept the club in the game allowing the offense to come back and win it.
Tonight as the Rangers open a three-game set against Tampa Bay, Feldman will take the mound as a starter for the first time in more than a year as the Rangers have decided to be proactive and rest some of their starters, who have all neared or surpassed their career-high innings pitched.
That starts tonight with Matt Harrison, who is skipping his start and will be the long man for the next week before he makes his next scheduled start in Boston this weekend.
Harrison might not be the only starting pitcher the Rangers do this with over the next month, so it's imperative that Feldman give his team a chance to win games, and that starts tonight.
