Well, gosh. I guess — to the surprise of the Indians, no doubt — Jaret Wright is a fast healer. And Ortiz is out of the rotation, maybe.
The set rotation is Wright-Hampton-Thomson. After that, it would depend on how Wright feels, the schedule — and if the series goes more than three games, of course. Bobby could use Ortiz, or Byrd, in Game Four if it means the other option is Wright on three days’ rest. On the other hand, the schedule could be such that Game Four would be on the fifth day after Game One, so they might as well skip.
I believe the fact that we’re starting two reclaimation projects and a guy few people were even aware of before this year in our playoff rotation speaks volumes about the Braves and Leo Mazzone’s methods for handing and evaluating pitching talent. How many teams would have denied Byrd or Ortiz a spot on their rotation two years ago?