Erik Davis Promoted to Triple-A

Lake Elsinore righthander Erik Davis has been promoted to Triple-A, where he’ll be the latest in a long line of players who have attempted to solidify the back of the Portland rotation.

The Beavers currently have a rotation of Cesar Carrillo (who’s been passable this year), Josh Geer (who has a 6.00 ERA), Cory Luebke (who has made two solid starts since coming up from Double-A), and Cesar Ramos (who has been okay as a swingman). Will Inman, the team’s most effective starter, is on the disabled list, as is Steve Garrison, who didn’t pitch well anyway. Triple-A relievers Scott Munter, Radhames Liz, and Luis Perdomo have all gotten starts, as have Double-A pitchers Matt Buschmann and Nate Culp and High-A starter Anthony Bass. None have stuck.

So now, the 23-year-old Davis will try to break that string, but he had a 4.02 ERA in High-A, so it doesn’t look too likely that he’ll have sustained success. The Stanford alum has a solid 85/33 K/BB in 94 innings, and he gets a solid amount of ground balls, but he isn’t the sort of world-beater who can skip a level and find success. Double-A? Sure. Portland? I doubt it.

I still maintain that it’s ridiculous Corey Kluber hasn’t gotten a shot in the Portland rotation. Kluber, 24, has 121 strikeouts in 109 2/3 innings in San Antonio, and has a lower ERA there (3.53) than Davis does a level below.