Where you cannot - CANNOT - be left out to dry by your defense without giving up multiple runs, Robles had several games where guys would boot balls around behind him, throw em into the stands, whatever.
He bears down hard. That stuff did not affect him or get him away from his game, and most of those unearned baserunners never came around to score. The radio play-by-play would make note of it - and of his fearsome heat, btw. He was nasty. There were times he was wild, too, but he could be awfully impressive.
My only concern with him out of the pen is making sure he knows what his rhythm is. When the Ms first promoted him from A ball they stuck him in AA for one solitary inning of relief (in which he was bad), then moved him down to A+ and put him back in the starting rotation. This was after several days off. He got thumped HARD. But then he got back on his rotation schedule and started taking it to a league that punishes slop, gets cheap HRs (which Robles never gave up until his injury year) and otherwise drives pitchers crazy.
I'd prefer it if we weren't in High Desert, but since we are, I watch the pitchers that go through there and see what happens to em.
Some of em get there, have their ERAs explode into the stratosphere and never recover (hoping Gillheeney isn't that way, because he's another future pen lefty with heat who could be useful - if he doesn't center a pitch for a HR 3 times a game).
Some of them get beat up, get out and are fine. They have a tough mental makeup and don't take the beating as a reason to screw up their approach to the game. Snow is in this group, and it's one that very good major leaguers can come from. Carraway's here too.
Some guys don't get hit, and laugh at the tough environs. They just keep right on trucking.
Guys in the last group: Pineda. Moran. Brandon Maurer is in this group for me - until he got tired (hurt?) he was mulching the Cal League. So did Robles. Take out his first start in the Cal League when he was off-rhythm (5 walks in an inning, IIRC) and he demolished the league even more than the stats indicate.
But I'd definitely want Mauricio to get the hang of the bullpen rhythm before throwing him to the MLB wolves. IMO he should start in AAA as a pure late-inning reliever and practice for his future starring role.
Again, assuming health that will allow him effectiveness.
~G
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