Scott Hairston: Odds of Callup 1:1
Hairston certainly won't be star struck with a trip to Phoenix, as he's been
there before. If not for injuries the last two seasons he might never have
played in the Triple-A Championship, as he was off to a hot start during his
first callup this season, but after crashing into a wall in Pittsburgh his
shoulder put him on the shelf, and the emergence of Carlos Quentin kept Hairston
in the minors.
Still, he will likely get a shot, and a couple of starts, if for no other
reason than he is already on the 40 man roster, and it could provide D'Backs
fans with a preview of next year's outfield if Bob Melvin elects to start
Quentin in right, Chris Young in center, and Hairston in left.
Jeff Bajenaru: Odds of Callup 7:1
He's on the 40 man roster, but Bajenaru has not be as effective as the
D'Backs had hoped, and a couple of rough big league outings could destroy any
confidence he has left. Add to that the fact that the Diamondbacks are
already rolling with a 11 man bullpen, meaning he likely won't get much work,
and it becomes a tough sell. Expect the D'Backs to give Bajenaru the rest
of the year off, and look to him as a challenger for next year's bullpen.
Chris Carter: Odds of Callup 8:3
Carter wouldn't have even had a shot until the announcement that Tony Clark
was going to have back surgery, but now that the D'Backs' backup first baseman is
going under the knife, Carter might get himself a sneak peek. The biggest
factor working against him is that he's not currently on the 40 man roster, but
that could change as soon as Clark goes on the DL.
As with all the prospects on this list, the D'Backs are unlikely to call
Carter up unless he's going to see some playing time, and the last thing the
D'Backs want to do is start a first base controversy, something that could begin
to fester if Carter came up and crushed Major League pitching the same way he
has done it at every other level in his career.
Dustin Nippert: Odds of Callup 9:4
Nippert has bounced back and forth all season, and if the D'Backs elect to
give a starter a day off, they might call on Nippert for one more outing.
Consistency has not been Nippert's friend, but at this point about the only
thing Nippert has left to prove is that he can do it at the Major League level.
He's dominated at every other level, and the D'Backs have him tentatively
penciled into the starting rotation for next year. Of course that could
change the minute the D'Backs hit the free agent market for pitching (something
they plan on doing aggressively this offseason). If Nippert gets a start,
it would likely be because the D'Backs need to find out if he's ready for The
Show, which helps them decide on going after one or two free agent starters.