Will Howell start in Arizona on Saturday?

RC friend Kevin Agee today pointed out something I missed in yesterday's post about J.P. Howell -- Howell is slated to make his debut tonight for the Omaha Royals.

That's important to know, for it gives us the strongest evidence yet that Royals GM Allard Baird may be strongly considering calling up the young southpaw to start against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. Starting tonight would give Howell the standard four days' rest before Saturday, so it sets him up perfectly to make his Major League debut in Arizona. Wichita is off today, so if the Royals did in fact have Howell in mind for Saturday, it certainly explains the quick promotion to Omaha that puzzled RC yesterday.

It looks as though I may have been a bit rough on Dick Kaegel the other day. At this point, I have to consider Howell as the leading candidate for Saturday's start in Arizona.

That, of course, leads me to one of two conclusions:
1) J.P. Howell is really friggin' good; or
2) Allard Baird has lost his damned mind

For the sake of the ballclub, I pray that it's #1.