The Line Drive of Love and Reggie Abercrombie have been cleared to lose to the Nationals tonight, but Maysonet is still out with a jacked up ankle. But Backe? That's a different story.
He's still 10 days away from even throwing.
"Yeah, heck yeah it worries me," Cooper said. "It's 10 days. Ten days from now is the 23rd, the 24th then we got seven days and then we got five days. So you've got 12 days to get ready. And if you're a starting pitcher I don't know. If you're counted on to go some innings, I don't know. So what had he gone the first time? He's only gone two innings, 40 pitches or something. So there's a little concern there. Yes there is. It just cuts down on his opportunities to pitch, and that's not good. Two bullpens and probably one batting practice session and you might be squeezing in one game if that's a timeline, so yeah there is a concern."
Here's a prediction: There's no way Backe makes the team. It's not like he was Sandy Koufax before he got hurt. Apparently the Astros have until 2pm on April 1 to decide what to do, or they don't have to owe him his $1.55 million base salary.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
