When went on to the DL it looked as if it was the perfect time for to slide into the 5th starter role. However it was not to be and it may have lead people to believe that there is something wrong, well there doesn't seem to be as far as I can tell.

Bummgarner started off the season shaky struggling in spring training and having it continue over into his first few starts in Fresno. His velocity was down he was in the 87-90 mph range instead of the more usual 90-94. There was much to be concerned about but after a visit with Giants pitching savant Dick Tidrow things have corrected themselves.

His numbers are still muddled by that slow start but even then they are still impressive take a look:


This still compares pretty favorably to others who have excelled at the big league level. For example let's check out 's last season in AAA where he was the same age:


So I am not going to read too much into Bumgarner being skipped over for a pormotion here, especially after just coming back from a suspension. He is still pitching well and has been excellent in his last few starts even when he is without his best stuff.