The Rockies have designated starter José Ureña for assignment, tweets Suzie Hunter of DNVR Sports. The move creates a spot on the active roster for the expected reinstatement of Germán Márquez from the 15-day injured list tomorrow. Colorado’s 40-man roster tally dips to 39.
Ureña has spent parts of two seasons in Colorado. He first signed a minor league contract with the Rox last May. The club added him to the major league roster in early July. The sinkerballer started 17 big league games last season, pitching to a 5.14 ERA across 89 1/3 innings. While Ureña only punched out 15.2% of opposing hitters, he kept the ball on the ground on over half the batted balls he surrendered.
It wasn’t a resoundingly successful effort, though the 31-year-old showed enough for the Colorado front office. The Rockies re-signed him on a one-year, $3.5MM free agent contract at the start of the offseason. That deal, which also included a team option for the ’24 campaign, ensured he’d get another crack in the season-opening rotation.
Things haven’t played out the way the organization would have hoped. Ureña has been tagged 22 runs over 18 1/3 frames through his first five starts. He has a ghastly 9:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio and is inducing swinging strikes on a career-worst 7.2% of his offerings. This year’s 44.3% grounder rate is also down a few points from his typical level. He hasn’t made it past five innings in any of his five outings, all of which Colorado has lost.
The struggles were pronounced enough for the Rockies to move on from Ureña just a few weeks into the season. He has more than enough service time to refuse an optional assignment to the minor leagues. The only way to take him off the MLB roster was a DFA, which’ll almost certainly involve eating the remainder of the contract.
Other clubs are unlikely to trade for or claim Ureña and assume the roughly $3MM remaining on his deal. He’s a virtual lock to hit free agency — either by release or rejection of an outright assignment — within the next week. In all likelihood, he’ll be looking at minor league offers at that point.
The Rox will welcome Márquez back to front a rotation that also includes Kyle Freeland, Austin Gomber and Ryan Feltner. Righty Noah Davis has filled in for Márquez while he’s been on the shelf with a minor forearm strain. Antonio Senzatela, who has been out since last summer with an ACL tear, began a rehab stint with Triple-A Albuquerque this evening and should be back in the majors within the next couple weeks.
Bout friggin time, that dude is awful. Career ERA close to 5 and can’t strikeout his grandma. Not sure why they resigned that turd.
Yeah but he was grandma was Chipper Jones so not the easiest out
Braves pick him up! LMAO
Nah we don’t want him bravesnation.
Lol Acuna would beat him up on his way in and if he doesn’t Snit would.
Surprised he lasted this long
That’s what my wife told me last night, numbing agents really do the trick!!
Hasn’t been the same since he accidentally plunked Acuna.
You’re funny. If that’s the case then give a Golden Globe to Realmuto and Mattingly.
Nothing accidentally about it, that was intentional. Have to say, my heart warmed to the news he now sucks so much.
Urena big risk if you claim him off waivers.
Lol couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy
No he hit Acuna
He was very obviously being facetious..
Hopefully this POS has thrown his last major league pitch.
Unfortunately for the Rockies the real Jose Urena showed up this season
Well, it was worth a gamble. Guy has a good arm, just doesn’t have command of any of his pitches.
Rockies have to gamble on guys like this. It’s not like Scherzer or deGrom or Kershaw are lining up to sign in Denver. Luckily it was a small enough gamble that it’s not hard to move on. Urena did pitch well in 2022 overall with a couple of outings accounting for almost all his ERA. Good luck in his future endeavors.
Was good for a while but sadly difficulties keeping the ball in the urena
I could’ve posted those stats for far less money. Awaiting my contract
Ureña had a few good outings during the last years, but in the end he has rather reliably produced one season with an ERA exceeding 5.00 after another. I understand that a team needs depth, but I wonder if even semi-decent prospects (who have at least a chance of improving) will be so much worse.
Gruß,
BSHH