Chad Billingsley Likely Odd Man Out for Dodgers

Young Chad Billingsley has pitched admirably for the Dodgers since being called up from AAA Las Vegas, going 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA in nine games. But look for the Dodgers to relegate the 22-year-old future ace to the bullpen, or send him back to Las Vegas until September. The acquisition of Hall-of-Fame starter Greg Maddux, 40, necessitates that someone be dropped from the rotation. GM Ned Colletti has never been sold that Billingsley is major league ready, but relented to bring him up when no veteran pitchers could be found on the open market. Coaches continue to work with Billingsley on issues of pace, pitch selection, attitude and mechanics. While Billingsley has had better results than fellow starter Aaron Sele, 36, the veteran is considered to be unfit for the bullpen and would be expected to react better to pressure situations than Billingsley.