Buchholz set to pitch in

The unofficial second half starts tonight and if that weren’t enough excitement for you, Clay Buchholz makes his season debut after dominating Triple A to the tune of a 7-2 record, 2.36 ERA and 8.09 K/9. Buchholz will face the Blue Jays and then be immediately sent back to the minors; hopefully after showing the FO that its time he returned to the Bigs for good.

We all know Buchholz has the talent to make it in the Majors but his 2008 season was a disaster that leaves some doubt about his application at this level. Hopefully his return to the minor leagues has given him the chance to correct his flaws and although the results suggest he has, it’ll be interesting to see what happens when the young righty faces real Major League hitters tonight.

Looking to the future, it’s important that Buchholz begins to establish a Major League presence since there are question marks over the rotation going forward past this season, when John Smoltz and Brad Penny are free agents, Tim Wakefield is pushing 43 and the long term status of Diasuke Matsuzaka is in question. Much has been made of the Sox’s minor league depth, especially on the mound, and the time is coming when it will be tested.

Of course that’s not a complaint, that’s how the organisation has always intended it to be and so far its worked; Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester and Justin Masterson are all established players at the top level now and with these successes in mind there is a certain confidence in the idea of Buchholz and Michael Bowden joining them in the near future.

Hopefully that future becomes the present tonight.