Bad enough to get him Smoltzed?
With Tim Wakefield gearing up to make his first start of the second half on Wednesday night against the White Sox, manager Terry Francona told Boston.com that Penny's future with the team is in jeopardy.
"I told him he's got to hang tight a little bit," he told the media after speaking with the starter on Saturday morning. "We'll get through today, and then we'll tell him where to go from there."
Wakefield started for Triple-A Pawtucket on Friday night and threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run in two hits. Penny, alternately, allowed eight runs on 10 hits in four-plus innings — at home, against the Yankees, no less. It couldn't have gotten any worse.
Despite the fact that Wakefield is still nursing some pain in his calf stemming from a back injury, Boston is confident that the knuckleballer can return to the form that allowed him go 11-3 in the first half of the season.
"We want him to be able to help us win," Francona told Boston.com. "I think we felt like, arm-wise, he was probably better than he'd been because he had a little bit of rest…. I think he improved enough in [Friday's] game — and there should be some improvement before he pitches again — that everybody thinks he can pitch and win."
Penny's future could hinge upon Saturday's starter, rookie Junichi Tazawa. If Tazawa succeeds, he could be the one who stays with the team. If he doesn't, he may get dispatched and Penny may stay put.
In 24 starts this season, Penny has gone 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA.
