Why Braden Shipley needs to be called up now
By Jake Lieberman
Now that Shelby Miller and Rubby De La Rosa are on the DL, it is time for the D-Backs to experiment a little bit with their rotation. It looks like Archie Bradley will stay in the rotation for the entirety of Miller and De La Rosa’s DL stints, while that second spot remains a bit of a question mark. Edwin Escobar struggled yesterday. Tyler Wagner, Braden Shipley, Zack Godley, and Matt Buschmann are guys we might see start from Triple-A Reno at some point if Escobar continues to struggle.
But Braden Shipley should be the one getting the next call to start in the big leagues. Braden is now 24 years old, and he is the No. 1 prospect in the minor leagues. Shipleyis bound to get a start at some point this year, and the timing couldn’t be anymore perfect.
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Braden just happens to be pitching at his best when the big league club needs two starting pitchers to fill injury holes. In his last five starts for Triple-A Reno, he has struck out 27 batters while walking just one. His ERA has dropped from 4.07 to 3.18 in about a month, and he is coming off an eight-inning performance with 100 pitches.
The D-Backs are seven games under .500 right now, and it might seem like they are in desperation mode because of the offseason acquisitions creating pressure. They really need to turn it around quickly, but they have nothing to lose with giving Shipley a start. He will have the best stuff out of anyone they can choose from. Tyler Wagner and Zack Godley might have the experience the D-Backs are looking for, but Shipley’s talent outweighs their short stints in the majors.
One start could be extremely useful for Shipley too in becoming antiquated and comfortable pitching on a big stage. Archie Bradley is a good example of this because even after eleven starts into his career, he just now is really looking comfortable in the majors. Most prospects need time to get truly comfortable, and getting Shipley a couple starts now could be big for him for when he becomes a full member of the Diamondbacks rotation in the near future.