Matt Clement

It wasn't the start of the year.

I think there's a big difference to starting the year in this position as to, hey, I'm coming up.

We're going to use you out of the pen sometime.

I'm going to say this.

I'm going to keep saying it unless there's major injuries.

I think when Jared Jones shows up, that's what you're going to see Jared Jones doing.

He's going to start in the pen.

If everything goes well with this rotation –

and everything's on par just to kind of save his arm a little bit, save him some innings, ramp him up to this.

You know, he's going to throw minor league games.

He's probably going to start minor league games.

He's going to build up to be a starter in minor league games.

But, you know, now that next step of adrenaline from minor league to major league is going to change and kind of to protect that arm, protect the investment.

I think in a perfect world, that's on their mind that they would like to do that now.

A couple guys are hurt.

That gets thrown out the door, and you're trying to win a pennant in whatever the case may be.

But I think he could start in a pen, maybe catch fire with it, and maybe at the end of the year use him as a starter or just leave him in the pen the whole way through and let him throw his 102 miles an hour.

I think he's definitely up for the task.

I think it definitely could kind of throw a curveball, to say, into what everybody thinks they're going to do.

But I think most importantly, from his standpoint, you're coming off a surgery.