Sunday, May 16, 1999
Blister keeps Avery from today's start
Tomko or Bere likely instead
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
This much is clear: Steve Avery will not start today. Who will start in his place remains undetermined. The two candidates are Brett Tomko and Jason Bere.
Reds manager Jack McKeon met with pitching coach Don Gullett before Saturday's game, but they put off the decision until today.
The blister on the middle finger of Avery's pitching hand split open when he tried to throw Saturday.
“Any other job in the world and I'd be able to do it,” Avery said. “It's frustrating. You can understand an arm injury or a pulled groin or something.”
The blister popped up in Avery's last start. He had to leave the game after five scoreless innings.
“I think it was from the fastball, the four-seamer,” Avery said.
Avery has made 266 big league starts and has never had to miss one because of a blister.
“They've always healed,” he said.
The blister was nearly as bad Saturday as it was Tuesday.
“It's different now,” Avery said. “It's more like a paper cut. I've got to give some time to heal.”
Avery won't even throw until the middle of next week. That is not good news for the Reds. He's been their best starter so far this year. Avery is 2-3 with a 2.56 ERA (third in the National League) and opponents are hitting .183 against him (best in the NL).
“It's so early in the year,” Avery said. “It's better to take care of it now than let it get worse.”
Tomko would seem like the obvious candidate to make the start for Avery. He was scratched from his start for Triple A Indianapolis at Syracuse Friday night after the Reds became concerned that Avery might not be able to pitch.
Tomko got up at 5:30 a.m. Saturday to catch a flight from Syracuse to Indianapolis, then drove to Cincinnati. He got to the Reds clubhouse about 4 p.m.
Tomko made two starts for Indy. He was 2-0 with a 4.97 ERA for the Indians. He said he felt he accomplished what he needed to there.
“I threw strikes,” he said. “I threw inside like they asked me to.”
Tomko allowed 15 hits in 12ö innings, but he only walked one and struck out nine.
“I got my mechanics where they should be,” he said. “I threw strikes and went after people.”
Tomko, the Opening Day starter, was 0-1 with a 7.76 ERA in five starts before the demotion. He would have preferred to work things out with the Reds.
“That was their choice,” he said. “So I had to do it. I wasn't happy about it. But I went down there and did my work.”
If Tomko does start today, it will require a roster move by the Reds.
“We'll have to disable or option someone,” General Manager Jim Bowden said.
“I'm going to talk with Dr. (Tim) Kremchek about the health of our players. We probably won't make a decision until (today).”
The Reds could send Friday's starter Steve Parris or one of the two outfielders with options — Mark Sweeney or Michael Tucker — down to Indy.
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