Phil Nevin gives frustrating excuse for leaving Jose Suarez in Angels rotation

The Los Angeles Angels made a decision I did not expect them to make. Jose Suarez is remaining in the rotation for at least one more start and will take the ball in Milwaukee on Sunday. This decision to let him start another game is curious at best and extremely frustrating for Angels fans.

Suarez has been an absolute disaster to begin the season. He has a 10.26 ERA through his first four starts. It looks like nothing has been working. He hasn't given them any length and just simply hasn't looked like a MLB pitcher.

The Angels showed a willingness to be aggressive with other parts of the roster like we saw with the Zach Neto promotion, but the long leash for Jose Suarez is hard to justify.

LA Angels make wrong decision leaving Jose Suarez in rotation

The Angels feel Suarez was tipping pitches in his last time out, and it does make sense. His glove placement differed with whatever pitch he threw, and once cameras were on them discussing in the dugout, he did wind up pitching two effective innings.

I have a couple of questions in response to this. First, even if you felt tipping was the reason behind his most recent awful start, how can you explain the other three? Even if you want to wipe out this most recent start, there wasn't even a reason to give him the start against Oakland to begin with!

In his first start against the Mariners, he allowed seven runs (six earned) in 4.1 innings pitched. The second start he allowed ten hits and four runs in four innings against the Nationals. In his third start he walked six batters in New York and only went 3.1 innings. He couldn't even get to the fifth inning in his first three starts, had a 9.26 ERA, and looked just awful.

Second, how do two effective innings against possibly one of the worst teams in MLB history wipe everything else away? The A's are now 5-19 after last night's loss.

Now Nevin, after Suarez was booed loudly by his own fans at Angel Stadium, has decided to leave him in the rotation to start against the 15-9 Brewers at a hitter-friendly ballpark. I wonder how this one is going to go.

Even if you want Suarez to pitch in that game, try something new. Use an opener. Use him out of the bullpen. Don't keep trying the same thing because it's simply not working. This season is so crucial for the Angels and they really cannot afford to continue to throw this guy out there every sixth day.

The Angels might not have the best pitching depth in the world, but they do have capable arms who could've taken this start. Hopefully, Nevin means it when he says Suarez is "start to start". One more bad one should mean he's done as a starter for a while, right?