On the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing, something once thought unfathomable, its only right that something equally unlikely should occur tonight. Jason Schmidt will make his first major league start in 765 days tonight, as the Dodgers open a three-game series with the Reds at Dodger Stadium.
In terms of expectations for Schmidt, there is quite a range. Tonight's start is a test, one that had to be taken, to see if Schmidt can still retire major league hitters. As Jim Peltz and Kevin Baxter of the LA Times reported:
"There have been plenty of guys that have been able to reinvent themselves as a pitcher," said Dodgers trainer Stan Conte, who held the same job in San Francisco when Schmidt pitched for the Giants.
"Jason will get that opportunity, and we'll see what we see, whether or not the shoulder can hold up and whether he can be effective at a major-league level," Conte said.
Incidentally, if you want a cool look at the 1969 moon landing superimposed on a baseball diamond, look no further than Beyond The Boxscore.
Two-way threat Micah Owings, a career .298/.327/.553 hitter, starts on the mound for the Reds.
Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez will have knee surgery Tuesday, and will miss 4-6 weeks, says Tom Groeschen of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Dodgers have swept the Reds in a three-game series in each of the past three seasons.
Get your guesses in for tonight's "Clogging The Bases" here.
Game Time: 7:10pm
TV: Prime Ticket