David Hernandez Gets his Well-Deserved Shot with the Orioles

Norfolk Tides starting pitcher, David Hernandez, was scheduled to start tonight for the team, fresh off of a 14-strikeout performance last week.

Not anymore.

According to O's blogger Roch Kubatko and Rotoworld.com, Hernandez is on his way to the big league club, with starter-turned-reliever Radhames Liz taking David's spot in the Tides rotation. Hernandez will start tomorrow night, provided tonight's game is not rained out. 

This potential roster change comes on the heels of Koji Uehara's sore hamstring. While he is getting better every day, Dave Trembley and the management staff feel that he could benefit from some extra time off.

And that brings us to Hernandez, chosen as the 16th best prospect in the O's organization by Baseball America. Since a stellar debut at Aberdeen in 2005, the right-hander has led each league he has pitched in in strikeouts. A 16th-round draft pick in 2005, he has a somewhat deceptive delivery, and it is that, rather than overpowering stuff, that has enabled him to rack up the strikeouts wherever he goes. 

In terms of stuff, Hernandez features a low 90s fastball, which he can throw for a two or four-seamer, though he can crank it up to 94-95.

His slider is a plus-pitch and was voted the best in the system.

His fourth pitch is a changeup, which he has been working on, but is definitely not an option he goes to often.

Because of his tendency to rack up so many strikeouts, he tends to pitch to a pretty high pitch count, limiting his innings, although with just about every O's starter averaging about five innings per start, Hernandez should be right at home.

Many believe that Hernandez's home is in the bullpen, where hitters wouldn't have three or four at-bats to get used to his delivery. That may be the case, but as the O's have always said, he will get his shot to prove his worth in the rotation first.