Results tagged ‘ Josh Fogg ’
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.
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.
Flores on quickened course; working on the day off
Lefty reliever Randy Flores gave up a home run to the Royals’ Tommy Murphy on Tuesday. It was the first Cactus League run against Flores in three appearances, althuogh he did give up three runs in one inning of an intrasquad game.
Nonetheless, Flores — a non-roster invitee — has made himself an interesting bullpen candidate to start the season, even though he is coming off shoulder surgery in August.
“The second I got healthy, and in shape to throw, I was in games, and that’s different for me,” said Flores, who established himself as a reliever with the Cardinals 2004-08. “Typically, everyone gets in shape during the winter, but still it’s a jolt to your system to face hitters, and another jolt when you’re in a game.
“So to say I have nothing to work on would be completely wrong. I need to continue to work on my conditioning in the game, and the crispness and sharpness of my pitches. That can hopefully take place over the last couple of weeks.”
– The Rockies will enjoy their only day off of the spring on Wednesday. But left-hander Greg Smith and right-handers Greg Reynolds, Ryan Speier, Josh Fogg and Matt Belisle will throw in a Minor League game. Also, it’ll be the first Minor League outing for righty Jason Hirsh, who was optioned out of big-league camp on Monday.
– Todd Helton continues to put back problems behind him. On Tuesday, he hit his third home run in six Spring Training games. This one was a pull shot down the right-field line off the Royals’ Kyle Davies. The other two were to center field. Ryan Spilborghs also went deep. The club’s projected leadoff hitter, Spilborghs is hitting .323 with a .405 on-base percentage in 10 Cactus League contests.
Lineups are in, Baker is out
The Rockies put up a lineup for this afternoon against the Dodgers, and already have a change. Jeff Baker was supposed to be designated hitter, but he was scratched for Matt Murton because of tenderness in his right elbow.
Speaking of injuries, third baseman-outfielder Ian Stewart said he is gradually healing from a left biceps strain he suffered while swinging before Thursday’s game. Stewart said he is hoping to return to the batting cage on Sunday.
So here’s today’s lineup:
Eric Young Jr. 2B
Scott Podsednik LF
Troy Tulowitzki SS
Matt Murton DH
Yorvit Torrealba C
Daniel Ortmeier 1B
Carlos Gonzalez CF
Christian Colonel RF
Jason Marquis P
Jorge De La Rosa and Josh Fogg also are schedueld to throw two innings apiece.
Folks love Josh Fogg
Pitchers and catchers were due to report to Tucson, Ariz., today, and many of them worked out on a day that was every bit as nice as Denver was nasty. Well, I hear Denver was nasty. Sorry about that.
Anyhow, one of the nicest developments is the presence of right-hander Josh Fogg. Admittedly, it might be hard for him to make the team. But as he noted, he wasn’t going to make the team in 2006 until Byung-Hyun Kim and Sun-Woo Kim suffered injuries late in camp. Fogg stayed in the rotation for two years, went 21-18 and became a fan favorite.
Many folks filled my e-mail box with protests when the Rockies didn’t re-sign him last year. He signed with the Reds, but after a bad year during which he lost his spot in the rotation, was hit in the face with a line drive at one point and generally didn’t succeed.
Now he’s back, under a Minor League contract. Most of the competitors for a spot on the roster are younger and have livelier arms.
But no doubt folks will be pulling for Fogg. He also feels the love of the fans.
“I think I can relate to the fans a little bit,” Fogg said. “I’m not one of those guys that goes out there and lights up the radar gun. I’m a little closer to the guys that played in high school. They see me out there and say, I used to throw 86 mph. I used to throw 85. They know I’m gutting it out a little bit more, not dominating with my stuff.”
… More Brian Fuentes
Tom posed an interesting question in the comments from my last posting. Fuentes had a penchant for letting runners on base — a practice that led a great friend of mine, a loyal Rocies fan, to always say, “Brian is playing with his food.” You asked if it was the light air or big spaces at Coors that led to runners always seeming to be on base. I don’t think that was the case.
I don’t know why there were always runners on base, but I do know this: Fuentes is a better pitcher in traffic. In his career, Fuentes has yielded a lower average with runners on (.220) than with bases empty (.224). The numbers tilted even more in that direction before last season, when Fuentes actually held hitters to .193 with the bases empty, to .226 with runners on base.
I don’t have a scientific reason for this. It could simply be a focus issue. Good closers pitch well under pressure, and many of them seem to create pressure for themselves. Fuentes already has a high strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate, and I expect that to continue with the Angels. I also expect many of the strikeouts to come with runners on base.
And, bloggers, thanks for all the warm welcomes. Honk or yell out my name if you see me around Hi Corbett.
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