It's always hard to ask a pitcher who has started his entire career to go to the bullpen, but sometimes, it has to be done. Considering Scott Olsen's struggles this season, the Nationals' decision to demote him falls squarely in the "sometimes, it has to be done" category.
↵For a game, it worked. Olsen came in to relieve a struggling Jordan Zimmermann and stabilized things, throwing four scoreless innings and allowing the Nationals' bats to rally. Afterwards, though, Olsen wasn't in a chipper mood, as Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post noted.
↵↵↵"Obviously, I don't want to be in the bullpen," Olsen said. "I'd rather start. That's not what they want me to do."
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Olsen's objection is that he cannot loosen his arm properly without doing long tossing, which is what starting pitchers do before they pitch. Which is understandable, on some level. On the other hand, the Nationals just won on Labor Day, and Olsen hasn't been pitching well at all. You wish he could have at least put on a happy face for a couple hours, especially considering he actually pitched well.
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