After getting pounded in his last two starts, the Dodgers have officially sent John Ely back to Triple-A Albuquerque. In his place will be Jon Link, recalled for the fourth time already this season.
Ely has ridden a roller coaster of success and failure this year. He was 3-1 in May with a 2.18 ERA, and looked like quite the hidden gem in the Juan Pierre deal. The rest of the league sure caught up to him and fast, because his ERA has shot up over two runs since the start of June.
The biggest issue has been his command. On June 1 after his seventh start, his ERA was at 2.54 and he walked only eight hitters. In seven starts since then, his ERA is up to 4.63 and he's walked 17 hitters.
He's shown the ability to gave good control, so maybe he just needs some time to get that confidence back. It's not like the Dodgers have a whole bunch of starters they can turn to, so if he figures things out in the minors, he'll be back.
The Dodgers won't need a fifth starter until June 19 against the Giants, and the early favorite appears to be James McDonald (remember him?). In 13 starts this season in the minors, McDonald is 5-1 with a 4.45 ERA. Keep in mind that playing in Albuquerque inflates numbers, so it's not quite as bad as it may appear. He's struck out 63 in 62 2/3 innings, a very good stat.
Of course, there's also the possibility of acquiring a starter via trade. Stay tuned on that.
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