Jimenez, and his slider, are on display this month with Mariners
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 | 8:43 pm
Hard to believe that this is Cesar Jimenez’s 10th year in the Seattle Mariners’ organization. In some ways, it seem like 20 years since he was a 17-year-old in his first professional season with the Everett AquaSox. That was 2002.
Since then, Jimenez has been one of the more intriguing Mariners prospects.
He’s a left-hander with a nice fastball, quality change up and everything he needs to get left-handed hitters out except the main thing he needs against lefties: a consistently good slider.
This is a big month for the 26-year-old, who has lost the better part of the past two years after labrum surgery in his left shoulder in 2009. He spent all last year recovering and all this year getting his feet back underneath him, going 5-4 with a 4.06 ERA in 43 relief appearances at Class AAA Tacoma.
He’s with the Mariners this month and on display for manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis, who’ve never seen him pitch in person beyond spring training. He has pitched three times since being called up from Tacoma, his best being the 1 2/3 hitless innings he worked Monday night against the Yankees. Most impressive part of it was that he retired all three left-handed hitters he faced.
“We saw a couple of good sliders to lefties,” Willis said. “We’ve always known about the changeup and how good it is. We want to get him in there as much as we can over these next 15 games and see where his stuff is.”
Because of his injuries the Mariners know better than to make this a make-it-or-bust month for Jimenez. But it’s still important.
“We’re seeing an improved slider. It’s been a focal point once he was able to return to competing,” Willis said. “I know that the command of the fastball and the command of the changeup prior to his injury were very strong. It takes a while to get that feel and command back after you’ve missed as much time as him.
“But along with that, the slider is definitely a pitch that will probably be a separator for him and have a big say as to his near-future career.”
Since then, Jimenez has been one of the more intriguing Mariners prospects.
He’s a left-hander with a nice fastball, quality change up and everything he needs to get left-handed hitters out except the main thing he needs against lefties: a consistently good slider.
This is a big month for the 26-year-old, who has lost the better part of the past two years after labrum surgery in his left shoulder in 2009. He spent all last year recovering and all this year getting his feet back underneath him, going 5-4 with a 4.06 ERA in 43 relief appearances at Class AAA Tacoma.
He’s with the Mariners this month and on display for manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis, who’ve never seen him pitch in person beyond spring training. He has pitched three times since being called up from Tacoma, his best being the 1 2/3 hitless innings he worked Monday night against the Yankees. Most impressive part of it was that he retired all three left-handed hitters he faced.
“We saw a couple of good sliders to lefties,” Willis said. “We’ve always known about the changeup and how good it is. We want to get him in there as much as we can over these next 15 games and see where his stuff is.”
Because of his injuries the Mariners know better than to make this a make-it-or-bust month for Jimenez. But it’s still important.
“We’re seeing an improved slider. It’s been a focal point once he was able to return to competing,” Willis said. “I know that the command of the fastball and the command of the changeup prior to his injury were very strong. It takes a while to get that feel and command back after you’ve missed as much time as him.
“But along with that, the slider is definitely a pitch that will probably be a separator for him and have a big say as to his near-future career.”
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