Ricky Nolasco to start on Saturday

The Marlins are planning to start Ricky Nolasco on Saturday.

Barring any unforeseen setbacks with his balky right knee, Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco will take the mound Saturday at Turner Field in Atlanta.

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``Did some jogging forwards and backwards,'' Nolasco said. ``It's fine, other than the backwards, but it's just one thing we're going to stay away from. I was a little surprised, honestly. I thought [fielding bunts] was going to be the toughest part of all this, getting off the mound.''

Oh, boy.  I'm loving this.  Ricky shouldn't have to "jog" backwards much, and hopefully not at all, in the game.  And especially since it is much easier for the defense to come forward to field a play.  But this does bring up the point of what happens if Ricky gets a hit?  He can't run, and if the Braves are cruel enough to throw over, he is going to have to stand on first.  I really don't care if he does, but he is not healthy.

I don't like the idea of sending a gimpy pitcher in to start.  What tends to happen is he will eventually change his pitching motion in order to compensate for the weakness and nothing good happens after that.  And I'm not talking about how the pitching results are in the game, couldn't care less about that at this point in the season.  I'm talking about changing his delivery because he can't go full bore with his natural one and then something else gets hurt.  We have been through elbow problems with Ricky in the past and that took more than a year to get him back to normal.  I just don't want to see a repeat of that.

Then again, I have been told I worry too much.  Hopefully, that is the case now.