Phil Humber the 21st perfect game in baseball history on April 21 against the Seattle Mariners last year, and it’s been all downhill ever since. The once-prized prospect in the New York Mets system has logged a 7.79 ERA since the perfecto over 121.1 innings. At 8.82, his 2013 ERA is the worst in the Majors, even outpacing the ineffective, injured Roy Halladay, who today went on the disabled list with an 8.65 ERA.
Humber’s poor performance over seven starts (all losses) has put his rotation spot in jeopardy. Via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart:Luhnow acknowledged that the club also talked about the status of struggling starting pitcher Philip Humber, who has a 16.20 ERA in his last four starts. The Astros have already bumped Brad Peacock and Erik Bedard from the rotation since the start of the season, and Humber’s status remains unclear.
“That’s really a decision Bo needs to make, and I’m sure he’ll make it at the appropriate time,” Luhnow said. “We believe Humber is a Major League pitcher and can add value to our team. For now, no decision has been made about any different roles on the pitching side at this point.”Now 30 years old, Humber is running out of time and opportunities to prove himself. His last sustained run of pitching came in 2011 with the White Sox, when he finished with a 3.75 ERA in 163 innings.
