Reliever Mike Gonzalez’s Current Rehab Status

One question still looms in the minds of Orioles fans around the country:  Will reliever Mike Gonzalez actually contribute (positively) to the team in 2010?

Ever since Opening Day, the Birds have been plagued with the absence of a true dominant closer, as Gonzalez failed to convert two saves in his first three appearances.  He would later hit the DL, and what followed afterward has left the bullpen a mess.

Out of nowhere, pitchers were randomly being thrown into the ninth inning role.  We saw the likes of David Hernandez, Will Ohman, Jim Johnson, and Alfredo Simon all take the ball in save situations, with Simon being the only one having even moderate success.

With Gonzalez currently rehabbing, though, things may begin to shuffle again in the O’s pen.  Currently with the Aberdeen Ironbirds, Gonzalez is attempting to make a comeback with the O’s.

So how does he look?

I’d rather not ruin a piece of your day.

After giving up a two-run homer in his rehab debut, Gonzalez came back to allow two inherited runs to score.  After coming in with runners on first and second with one out, he gave up a one-run double followed by an RBI groundout.

So what did Gonzalez have to say?

“Come up with some runners on, I gotta get those guys obviously,” Gonzalez said. “You’re getting yourself ready and prepared to do it in the big leagues, but the good thing is that my arm felt better today than it did in the last outing, so it’s definitely progress and I’m definitely upbeat about that.”

“Do what I do. That’s my thing, that’s what they went out and signed me for is to come in and dominate. This is a road I have to go through, it’s not just a light switch that you turn off and on so I gotta keep going through the process and hope that my shoulder comes through.”

(Quotes from DaggerPress.com article by Daniel Gallen)

So what is my opinion about all of this?

To be honest, this is looking like a more dreadful signing than Garrett Atkins (Trust me, that is hard to top.).  Not only did Gonzalez blow two wins straight out of the water, but he is looking to come back and do it again.  All reports are saying that his fastball velocity is still down, and knowing that he is not a “finesse” reliever, that is a bad thing.  Ultimately, I would much rather see him let go completely; however, with the money the front office spent on him, I don’t see him going anywhere.