August 2009
De La Rosa tabbed for Tuesday start, rotation still not set
Rockies manager Jim Tracy decided not to bring in a starter to take the place of the injured Aaron Cook (right shoulder soreness) for Tuesday’s turn in the rotatoin. With the Rockies off on Monday, left-hander Jorge De La Rosa (12-9, 4.72 ERA) will start Tuesday’s opener against the Mets, followed by right-handers Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis. The next time the Rockies will need a starter is next Saturday at home against the D-backs.
Tracy said Cook, who received good news from last week’s MRI, will not be ready for next Saturday but could be ready thereafter. With manager Jim Tracy against using a reliever for a start — righty Josh Fogg’s start against the Dodgers on Wednesday did not go well — the starter will likely come from Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Rockies not set on Tuesday starter
The Rockies have an opening in their pitching rotation and a day that they need one — Tuesday at home in the opener of a three-game set against the Mets. Manager Jim Tracy said he has determined who will start, but he knows who won’t: Josh Fogg.
Fogg, as Tracy noted, has been a valuable innings-saver in the bullpen in the long relief role. But filling in for the injured Aaron Cook Wednesdsay night, Fogg gave up six runs and four hits in three innings pitched in a 6-1 home loss to the Dodgers. Fogg had made 20 appearances, exclusively in relief, since being called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Tracy determined that Fogg is too conditioned to relief pitchng to be put back in a starting role.
“We’re better served with him serving in the role that he’s been serving in, as the savior of our bullpen, so to speak,” Tracy said before the Rockies opener of a three-game set against the Giants on Friday night. “He’s done such an incredible job in doing that for us. I think we really are doing him a disservice to send him out there to try to start games.”
The optons are to call up someone from the Minors, or smply skip the spot and allow left-hander Jorge De La Rosa to pitch on four days’ rest. Tracy said he is evaluating whether the other four members of the rotation would be better off pitching with normal rest or if an extra day would be beneficial.
Earlier this post mentioned veteran Russ Ortiz, currently pitchng at Triple-A Colorado Springs, as a possibility. But Ortiz started tonight and went six innings, giving up five runs on eight hits in a loss. That would make him unlikely to pitch Tuesday on short rest.
Facing ‘The Freak’
The Rockies are playing the machup game against Giants stalwart right-hander Tim Lincecum on Sunday afternoon.
Chris Iannetta is 6-for-9 with a home run and two doubles in his career against Lincecum. The unlikely starter is Omar Quintanilla (.174)who not only is 5-for-17 (.417) with an RBI. It’s just his fifth start of the season.
Cook heads to DL, other medical news
The Rockies placed pitcher Aaron Cook on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder on Satuday, a day after he left a start against the Giants after facing one batter in the fourth inning. But Cook’s situation is still shrouded in uncertainty. The Rockies will know more after seeing the results of Cook’s MRI on Monday.
Rockies manager Jim Tracy said Cook could be looking at something similar to the shoulder strain that left-hander Franklin Morales suffered early in the season, which could mean 3 1/2 weeks. That would mean the Rockies could be without their veteran starter until the middle of September, which is not exactly the prescribed way to fight for a playoff berth. As for Wednesday’s start against the Dodgers, Tracy confirmed that right-handers Adam Eaton and Josh Fogg are in-house candidates.
To replace Cook, the Rockies called up right-hander Matt Herges from Colorado Springs. Herges was one of the bullpen leaders during the 2007 run that landed the Rockies in the World Series. He began this season with the Indians.
In more positive medical news, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki returned to the club Saturday after spending much of Friday vomiting because of a bug he had. Tulowitzki is in the starting lineup, but the Rockies will keep a close eye on him.
But in a more ominous development, right-handed reliever Manuel Corpas, currently out after undergoing surgery to remove a bone chip from his throwing elbow, revealed that he underwent another surgery 10 days ago because of an infection in the forearm of that same arm.
To make room on the 40-man Major League roster for Herges, the Rockies moved Corpas to the 60-day DL.
After the arm and fingers swelled, doctors checked for other bone chips. Corpas has a device through which he is being administered antibiotics every 10 hours. Corpas said he hopes he could pitch in the playoffs, but he also said it’s possible the Rockies will shut him down and not allow him to pitch winter ball, as is often his custom.
Righty Juan Rincon, who is on the disabled list with right elbow soreness, had made two strong performances for Colorado Springs on a rehab assignment. Rincon said his rehab term expires Sept. 3, but he is hoping to be restored to the active roster once the limit is raised from 25 to 40 on Sept. 1.
Timlin moving closer
Veteran right-handed reliever Mike Timlin has been moved to Triple-A Colorado Springs after two appearances scoreless appearances for Rookie-level Casper.
Timlin, a veteran of 18 Major League seasons, last appeared in the Majors for the Red Sox during last year’s American League Championship Series against the Rays.
That will give Colorado Springs two experienced relievers in case of injury. Matt Herges, who began this season with the Indians, also is there.
Beimel arrives, Rincon hits DL
Newly acquired lefty Joe Beimel arrived just in time for batting practice before Saturday night’s game with the Reds and donned No. 97 for the first time. Beimel, 32, was acquired in a deal for two Minor Leaguers on Friday.
Upon his arrival, the Rockies placed righty Juan Rincon on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow soreness. Beimel became sore after giving up three hits and a run iun two innings against the Mets on Wednesday. He threw with head athletic trainer Keith Dugger on Saturday afternoon before the club annonuced its decision.
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