The Rockies placed Ryan Feltner on the 15-day injured list with back spasms. The placement is retroactive to April 29. Righty Bradley Blalock is up from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move.
Feltner has been the best pitcher in a floundering Colorado rotation. He owns a 4.75 earned run average through 30 1/3 innings over six starts. His 18.5% strikeout rate is middling, but he’s getting grounders at a 48.5% clip while showing solid control. Feltner posted similar numbers in 30 starts a year ago. He pitched to a 4.49 ERA with a near-20% strikeout rate in a career-high 162 1/3 frames. It may not be the most exciting profile, but the former fourth-round pick has been a rare source of stability at the back of Bud Black’s rotation.
Colorado did not provide a timeline for Feltner’s return. According to the MLB.com injury tracker, he felt continued soreness in his lower back during a game of catch on Thursday. He also missed a bit of time in the second half of last season, but he made it back within a few weeks of going down with a shoulder strain.
If he’s in for a similarly brief absence, Feltner could find his name in trade rumors this summer. Colorado has been reluctant to entertain offers on players with contractual control — and sometimes on rentals even in losing seasons — but they’ll again enter deadline season as a seller. Feltner is playing on a $2.275MM salary in his first of four years of arbitration. The Rox’s track record suggests a trade is unlikely, but GM Bill Schmidt should receive calls from teams seeking affordable back-of-the-rotation help if Feltner is healthy.
Blalock could step into Feltner’s rotation spot, which is scheduled for tomorrow’s game against the Giants. Blalock started six of seven big league appearances last year as a rookie. He has come out of the bullpen for two of three MLB outings this season, allowing eight runs in seven innings. Blalock has started all three appearances with Albuquerque, giving up six runs while managing only 8 1/3 frames with 10 walks and seven strikeouts. Colorado’s other four starters — Kyle Freeland, Germán Márquez, Antonio Senzatela and Chase Dollander — have each posted an ERA of 5.22 or worse this season.
The Monfort brothers bought the Rockies and became primary owners of the team in 2005. That’s what happened.
Rockies pitching is weak, has been for years. Your answer is trade a serviceable pitcher. Why would they do that?
Watched the kid in obvious pain laboring against the Braves the other night. Truly b be hard to watch them leave him out there like that. And hard to watch such a rudderless, pathetic excuse for a ball club.
The Rockies have little talent. Why would trading the little talent they have be part of the answer? What return are they going to get? More people with little talent? Read the roster. Other than Tovar and Doyle, why would some other team be interested?
Dollander is promising, struggling now but at least shown a bit, I honestly believe the rest of them would be no better than a number 5 starter on almost any team. Freeland could be a 5 I guess, he’s a strange junkballer who throws people off sometimes. I get initially keeping Marquez around, but probably could have cut bait after the injuries. Sentenzela deal never made sense, he’s getting demolished and can’t get guys out. Feltner actually looks like an ace compared to these guys.
Unfortunately, they don’t let pitchers bat anymore, so Dollander can’t help them score runs.