It didn’t take long for the closer carousel to turn, did it? Octavio Dotel has hit the DL with a strained oblique, and David Riske will step in as Kansas City’s closer until Dotel returns.
First, some thoughts on Dotel. The Royals have said the injury doesn’t look too bad and that Dotel shouldn’t be out for long. However, we all know how oblique injuries have a tendency to linger and/or recur. If Dotel is out for longer than expected, we shouldn’t be surprised. If he returns too early and strains his side all over again, that wouldn’t be a shocker, either.
I’m not saying we need to hit the panic button here. It’s not *that* bad. But Dotel owners shouldn’t operate under the assumption that he’ll be back in a couple of weeks and everything will be jim dandy.
As for Riske, it’s hard to have high hopes. He really doesn’t have closer stuff anymore. At one point, he boasted stellar dominance -- his strikeout rate was regularly above 9.0, and even hit a high of 11.4 in 2002.
That’s a thing of the past, though. Riske’s strikeout rate the last two years: 5.95, 5.73. Dominance like that is hardly even adequate, much less the mark of an elite closer. Riske won’t rack up enough K’s to be a stellar stopper.
Riske also allowed six home runs in 44 innings last year. Again, that’s a bit much for a closer. And that homer total wasn’t a fluke -- Riske gives up a lot of fly balls (0.94 G/F last year).
Saves are saves, so Riske is worth a pickup. Just be aware that he isn’t what he was a few years ago. He might be a closer, but he’s no longer closer-worthy.
