Nate's back

Very strange development. The Tigers called up Nate Robertson and sent Galarraga to the Mud Hens. The Tigers claim this is only a 10-day assignment for Galarraga, and that he's been suffering from an elbow inflammation for three months. This is a rather convenient explanation for Galarraga's troubles since May. The fact is that Galarraga has sprinkled in brilliant performances throughout his generally subpar year. In July, Galarraga posted a 3.29 ERA, and, in his last two starts, he gave up only four runs in 11.1 innings. So, why send him down now?

As for Nate, he's fared well at Toledo. After five starts, Nate's got a 1.89 ERA, but it's still just Toledo. Not since early 2007 has Nate exhibited the stuff that earned him a ticket to the majors. Watching Nate has been like watching the Lions - you know they're going to let you down; you just don't know when. My only guess is that this move is about money. Nate is earning $10million this season, and Dombrowski wants to get some return on that investment. Galarraga's netting less than $0.5million, so perhaps he's more expendable. I just feel this move is a major risk in the middle of the pennant race. Nate will be starting this Saturday against Tampa Bay on national TV. The last time Nate was on national TV was the '06 playoffs. Let's hope we get the '06 Robertson!

By the way, thought this pic was pretty telling of the Tigers' offense this season: