Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Shaun Marcum will return to the rotation Saturday, manager Ron Roenicke told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Wednesday.
Marcum last pitched June 15 before hitting the disabled list with elbow tightness. The injury lingered and cost him more than two months after an initial diagnosis which figured to run in terms of weeks.
Marcum was enjoying another solid season prior to the injury, with a 3.39 ERA and 3.86 FIP in 13 starts. He will be an interesting case as a free agent after the season. Over his last four years, he's been very good, with ERAs under 3.75 all four seasons and similarly low FIPs in three of the four years. However, injuries limited him to just 25 starts in 2008, kept him out for all of 2009, were the apparent cause of his 2011 playoff collapse, and now cost him two months in 2012.
The contract Marcum receives will be an interesting exercise in how the market for starting pitching operates.
Will the Brewers offer the eight-figure qualifying offer necessary to get a draft pick back if he leaves? Will any team be willing to guarantee multiple seasons? Or will he have to wait out for a one-year deal loaded with incentives like other injury-riddled talents like Rich Harden and Ben Sheets have in recent seasons?
Surely, his performance and durability down the stretch in 2012 will be key as he heads towards his first free agent contract.
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