MLB Odds: Reds Phenom Aroldis Chapman Could Debut Tonight

Aroldis Chapman may be the hardest thrower in MLB. (AP Images)

With the terrible news that Washington’s Stephen Strasburg will likely be out until the 2012 season, the most exciting rookie pitcher in baseball tag now falls on Cincinnati lefty Aroldis Chapman, who has been called up by the Reds and will be available against the Brewers. Both Cincy and Milwaukee are at -110 on Bodog’s MLB odds for this game.

The Reds called up Chapman now because he will still be eligible to be on the team’s playoff roster, but he will be a reliever for at least the rest of this year. How electric is the Cuban’s stuff? He recently threw a 105 mph fastball while in Triple-A. Chapman is in the first year of a six-year, $30.25 million deal with the NL Central-leading Reds after defecting from Cuba in the Netherlands last year. Chapman is 4-1 with a 2.40 ERA as a reliever. He has allowed 17 hits, 12 walks and struck out 49 in 30 innings since the move to bullpen and his ERA is 0.83 over his last 20 appearances. In his past eight outings, spanning eight innings, he has struck out 15.

Cincinnati beat Milwaukee 5-4 in 10 innings Monday to open a season-high six-game lead over St. Louis in the division. The win also put the Reds a season-high 21 games over .500 at 76-55. Aaron Harang (7-6, 5.02) will make his first start for the Reds tonight since he was scratched from a July 5 start with lower back spasms. The Brewers counter with Yovani Gallardo (11-6, 3.50), who is 3-2 with a 6.27 ERA since the All-Star break.

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