Teams start to make changes when after eight times out a starter has a 10.19 ERA.
This is the struggling Bobby Jones’ ERA after yesterday’s 13-5 loss to the Yankees. His other numbers were 42/3 innings in which he gave up seven runs, all earned, on nine hits. He dropped to 1-3 and left the question: What’s next for him and the Mets?
With days off tomorrow and Thursday, Valentine and pitching coach Dave Wallace may very well decide to skip the righty’s start next Saturday in Milwaukee. But Valentine thinks this would be a Band-Aid, not a cure.
Valentine seems to be hesitant to move Jones out of the rotation simply because he doesn’t like his options.
“When you talk about making a move, an alternative would have to be presented,” Valentine said. “I haven’t had any alternatives presented.”
As far as skipping Jones’ next start, Valentine was less committed.
“We’ll see how the schedule works out,” Valentine said.
The 30-year-old Jones has been hurt by injuries the past two years, which in some ways may have induced his ineffectiveness. After only making nine starts last season because of shoulder problems, he missed nearly a month with a strained right calf earlier this year.
“He’s pitched well in the past,” said Valentine, who did demote Jones semantically referring to the righty as his “fifth starter.” “We’re waiting to see that spark this year, but we haven’t seen it yet.”
The problem for Jones yesterday was that the two times he received leads from his teammates in the top-half of an inning, he gave them back in the bottom-half.
In the third, a 3-2 Mets lead turned into a tie-game and, in the fifth, 5-3 Mets became 8-5 Yankees. After giving up two runs in the fifth, Jones left with two out and two men on. Pat Mahomes came in and immediately gave up a three-run homer to Jorge Posada to make it 8-5.
“I’m not concerned whatsoever,” Jones said about losing his spot in the rotation. “You guys can write that if you want. I understand there were some things wrote about that last week. It’s not you guys taking me out of the rotation or the press taking me out of the rotation; it will be one man.”
Jones added that he doesn’t want to go to the bullpen. It was in the bullpen this past week that Jones worked on his curveball, which is his most important pitch.
In terms of replacement possibilities, the Mets could replace one Bobby Jones with another. Jersey Bobby Jones, the lefty obtained from Colorado in the offseason, could be called up .