Up until 2011, Kevin Whelan had been spent time in Trenton in each of the four seasons I'd been in New Jersey, and he was maddeningly inconsistent in each outing. On any given night he could show you no-question big league stuff ... or he could miss the strike zone over and over until the opposition felt bad for him.

Now, after seven minor league seasons, something seems to have clicked. The 27-year-old was 1-1 with a 1.27 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 27 innings before being bumped to the show this afternoon. He'll be tasked with stemming the tide while the Yankees' bullpen attempts to heal.

One of the best parts about the Yankees is their willingness to stick with guys through injuries and inconsistency (see Norton, Tim and Horne, Alan), and Whelan is just the latest case. Good luck to him.

Kevin Whelan was called up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre yesterday, leaving the team a pitcher short as it heads to the stretch run -- for now.

As most everybody who follows the Yankees system knows, there are quite a few arms in Tampa that are deserving of a call to Double-A, and not just starters. Two relievers immediately jump out as guys who needed a promotion -- yesterday.

The first is obvious: Pat Venditte. The nationally known switch pitcher has been mowing down the competition all year for the T-Yanks and, at 25, is a bit old for the level. With 78 strikeouts and just 42 hits allowed in 64 2/3 innings, it's clear High-A is no longer a challenge.

Want more proof? How about a .181 batting average against? How about a 1.81 ERA? How about two home runs allowed? How about 12 walks? No matter how you slice it, the kid deserves a call to Trenton.

The other, almost equally deserving, pitcher is Jonathan Ortiz, who has racked up 19 saves and a tidy .197 average against. Of course, that number is higher than Venditte's. Same goes for his ERA.

Both pitchers are deserving, but Venditte has done just slightly better.