Colorado Rockies’ Old Friend Juan Nicasio Starts At Coors Today

Mar 25, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Juan Nicasio (12) pitches in-between innings against the San Diego Padres at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Juan Nicasio came up with the Colorado Rockies, and after an up-and-down career in Denver, has found a home with the Dodgers.

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Former Colorado Rockies hurler

Juan Nicasio

will have a bit of a homecoming this afternoon in Denver, when he faces off against his old team as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff.

The game will be Nicasio’s first start for the Dodgers, but thus far, he’s been absolutely lights out in relief, allowing just three runs in 21 innings across 16 games pitched, while striking out 28 hitters and only walking eleven.

Those are great numbers for a guy who is better suited to work in relief than as a starter, and the Dodgers deserve credit for understanding where he would best fit after they acquired him from the Rockies over the winter.

As I’ve written before elsewhere, Nicasio is far better suited to be a reliever than a starter, based on his career splits regarding times through a lineup. Rockies fans know this, not only seeing him struggle to get into the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings as a starter, but also in his relatively solid relief work at the end of 2014 after he was converted to the bullpen.

Kudos to Nicasio for finding himself as a reliever in Los Angeles. He’s been dominant in LA for a good ball club, working primarily in long and middle relief, and he deserves it after overcoming a lot in his career.

Best of luck moving forward for Nicasio, as he hopefully continues to assert himself coming out of the bullpen.

But as a starter at Coors Field on Tuesday afternoon… well… let’s go Rockies.

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