The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Colorado Rockies – INSIDE PITCH
The Rockies activated reliever Josh Outman from the 15-day disabled list and optioned left-hander Drew Pomeranz to Triple-A Colorado Springs, setting their suddenly flush rotation at five starters and giving manager Jim Tracy a third left-hander in the bullpen.
Pomeranz will work on correcting a delivery flaw that has led to some inconsistency and could return soon when that is accomplished.
Outman had the Opening Day roster made until he got food poisoning in the final week of spring training and vomited so violently he strained his right oblique. Outman, 27, made six rehab appearances at the high Class A, Double-A and Triple-A levels and went 0-0 with a 1.29 ERA in those games with two walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. The Rockies acquired Outman, who is looking to make his Rockies debut, and RHP Guillermo Moscoso in January from the A’s for OF Seth Smith.
Outman is capable of pitching multiple innings and joins left-handers Matt Reynolds and Rex Brothers in the Rockies bullpen.
Pomeranz, 23, is 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA in five starts with 15 walks and 20 strikeouts in 23 innings. He took a line drive off his right thigh in the second inning of his last start Monday at San Diego and left after the third. However, Pomeranz threw very well in a bullpen session Wednesday, and the bruise he suffered played no part in his demotion.
Pomeranz will start Sunday at Memphis for Colorado Springs. It will be the Triple-A debut for Pomeranz, the Indians’ first-round pick in 2010 and the fifth player taken overall who began his career in 2011 and pitched at the high Class A and Double-A levels before making his major league debut with the Rockies in September.
“He knows that there’s something that he’s looking for that hasn’t quite arrived yet,” manager Jim Tracy said. “After explaining to him about creating a different environment — where you have the opportunity to step back, take a couple of deep breaths and work on the stuff, not worry about the result — he’s all in.”
Pomeranz showed a 95 mph fastball last year at the Futures Game but hasn’t reached that velocity with the Rockies. He will work on getting a more over-the-top delivery. He was unintentionally cutting his fastball at times this season and last September, when he made four starts for the Rockies, who believe he will generate more power with a higher arm swing.
As a result of Pomeranz’s demotion, Alex White will pitch on regular rest Sunday at Los Angeles and left-hander Christian Friedrich will start on regular rest Monday at San Francisco. Both pitched well in their 2012 Rockies debuts — and in Friedrich’s case his major league debut — at San Diego earlier in the week and bringing them back on regular rest — the Rockies had an off-day Thursday — keeps the young pitchers on their normal routine.
Jeremy Guthrie (right shoulder sprain) is scheduled to come off the 15-day disabled list and start Tuesday at San Francisco.
Jamie Moyer is scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Diamondbacks at Coors Field. He struggled for the third successive start Friday at Los Angeles, where he gave up seven hits and five runs in five innings as the Rockies lost 7-3 to the Dodgers.
Moyer is 1-3 with a 4.66 ERA overall. But in his past three starts, he is 0-1 with an 8.40 ERA (14 earned runs, 15 innings). Against the Dodgers, Moyer gave up one hit and one run through three innings with five strikeouts, including four of the final five batters he faced to that point.
But at 49, Moyer, who tops out at 79 mph with his fastball, is finding it difficult the second and third time through a lineup. In the fourth and fifth, he gave up four runs on six hits and faced a total of 13 batters in those innings. At his age, Moyer is undoubtedly losing some of his edge and sharpness in the middle innings and doesn’t throw hard enough to compensate.
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MLB Team Report – Colorado Rockies – NOTES, QUOTES
–LHP Jamie Moyer struck out seven Friday, matching the team high he set this season April 29 against the Mets. LHP Christian Friedrich also had seven strikeouts in his major league debut Wednesday at San Diego. The Rockies are 1-6 in games started by Moyer, including Friday’s loss to the Dodgers.
–RHP Esmil Rogers gave up two hits, including a homer to Juan Uribe, in the one inning he pitched, raising his ERA to 8.62 in 13 games. Rogers has been scored upon in three straight outings, and in 15 2/3 innings, he has allowed 33 base runners.
–SS Troy Tulowitzki was back in the lineup after two days of rest. He didn’t play Wednesday after aggravating a left groin strain Tuesday that dates to spring training. It was just the second time in 30 games Tulowitzki didn’t play. Because the Rockies were off Thursday, Tulowitzki was able to get a second day of rest.
“It was just something I could feel almost continuously … it’s been kind of lingering the whole year,” Tulowitzki said. “You play through it. But looking at the schedule, I think (Wednesday) was a good day to take off. I have been resting it as much as I can, I feel good and I’m excited to get back out there.”
–LHP Christian Friedrich on Wednesday became the eighth starting pitcher to win his major league debut for the Rockies and the second left-hander to do so. In addition to LHP Drew Pomeranz (Sept. 11, 2011) and Juan Nicasio (May 28, 2011) last year, the others are Chin-hui Tsao (July 25, 2003), Jason Jennings (Aug. 23, 2001), Mark Brownson (July 21, 1998), Bryan Rekar (July 19, 1995) and Mark Thompson (July 26, 1994).
Friedrich and Brownson struck out seven in their major league debuts. The franchise record for a major league debut is eight, shared by Jennings and Jeff Francis, who did not win his major league debut Aug. 25, 2004.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Friedrich joins two other pitchers in the past 10 seasons who made their major league debuts and got the win to end a losing streak by their team of at least five games. Pittsburgh’s Paul Maholm on Aug. 30, 2005 and Baltimore’s Brad Bergesen on April 21, 2009 also ended five-game losing streaks in their debuts in the big leagues.
–LHP Tyler Anderson, the Rockies’ No. 1 draft pick last year, won his professional debut with low Class A Asheville, allowing three runs, two earned, and seven hits in five innings with one walk and two strikeouts. Anderson was the 20th overall selection in last year’s draft out of the University of Oregon but signed too late to play. Pelvic soreness in instructional limited him to one bullpen session there. Anderson, 22, began this year in extended spring training.
BY THE NUMBERS: 3 — Straight starts in which LHP Jamie Moyer has allowed at least one homer after not giving up a homer in three consecutive starts April 12-24. On Friday, Moyer gave up the first homer of the season to Dodgers 2B Mark Ellis, who began the year homerless in 104 at-bats and 121 plate appearances.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It was good. The most important thing was throw pitches in a game setting and feel confident. I was able to do that.” — RHP Jeremy Guthrie (right shoulder sprain), who pitched four scoreless innings in a rehab start for high Class A Modesto and will return to the Rockies rotation Tuesday at San Francisco.
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MLB Team Report – Colorado Rockies – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–LHP Josh Outman (strained right oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 30. He threw a bullpen session April 16 and pitched one inning of an extended spring training game April 24. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Modesto on April 28, then pitched for Class AAA Colorado Springs on April 30. He made rehab appearances for Class AA Tulsa on May 3, May 6 and May 7. He was activated from the disabled list on May 11.
–SS Troy Tulowitzki (left groin strain) sat out the May 9 game and returned May 11 after the off day.
–RHP Jeremy Guthrie (sprained right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 23. He was hurt riding his bicycle to Coors Field. He threw a 45-pitch bullpen session May 6 and threw live batting practice May 8. Guthrie, who was eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list May 8, but will make a rehab start for Class A Modesto on May 10. Jeremy Guthrie (right shoulder sprain) is scheduled to come off the 15-day disabled list and start May 15.
–RHP Jhoulys Chacin (right shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 2. An MRI revealed no structural damage.
–LHP Jorge De La Rosa (Tommy John surgery in June 2011) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Modesto on May 2, and had a second start May 8. After throwing a bullpen session May 9 in San Diego, De La Rosa is scheduled to start for Class AA Tulsa on May 12. His rehab program is scheduled to include two starts for Tulsa and two with Class AAA Colorado Springs before joining the Rockies as soon as June 1.
–INF Hector Gomez (strained groin) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26.
ROTATION:
LHP Jamie Moyer
RHP Juan Nicasio
RHP Alex White
LHP Christian Friedrich
BULLPEN:
RHP Rafael Betancourt (closer)
RHP Matt Belisle
LHP Rex Brothers
LHP Matt Reynolds
RHP Josh Roenicke
RHP Esmil Rogers
RHP Carlos Torres
LHP Josh Outman
CATCHERS:
Ramon Hernandez
Wilin Rosario
INFIELDERS:
1B Todd Helton
2B Marco Scutaro
SS Troy Tulowitzki
3B Chris Nelson
INF Jason Giambi
INF Jonathan Herrera
INF/C Jordan Pacheco
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Carlos Gonzalez
CF Dexter Fowler
RF Michael Cuddyer
OF Tyler Colvin
OF Eric Young Jr. (on bereavement leave)
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