Hoffman is a wiser pitcher after shoulder woes, stint at Triple-A
Jeff Hoffman has quite a pedigree. He was the ninth player taken in the 2014 draft and was the centerpiece of the shocking, blockbuster deadline trade that sent Troy Tuluowitzki to Toronto in July 2015.
But so far, Hoffman has only six wins in Rockies purple.
Now he gets a chance to impress. Needing length in the bullpen, the Rockies recalled the right-hander from Triple-A Albuquerque Friday and placed struggling lefty Mike Dunn on the 10-day disabled list with a rhomboid strain, an injury that’s causing him considerable pain and tightness in the upper back. Dunn was scheduled to undergo an MRI Friday night. Depending on the test results, Dunn could be out for as long as eight weeks.
Dunn’s misfortune is Hoffman’s opportunity. The Rockies still think of him as a starter, but his stint with the big-league club, no matter how long it lasts, gives Hoffman to show how he’s grown.
“I’m ready for whatever comes,” he said. “I think I’m in a good place right now and I can help the club in whatever role they ask of me.”
Hoffman was a candidate for the starting rotation before a shoulder strain suffered during spring training took him off the mound and put him in the training room. At Albuquerque, he was 3-4 with a 4.29 ERA in 10 starts, with 61 strikeouts vs. 25 walks.
“Jeff’s done a nice job, especially the last few starts where the command and control of all his pitches was better,” manager Bud Black said. “He’ll come up here and give us some reinforcement in the short term, until we get a few guys back.
“We feel confident that Jeff can provide us quality innings as a relief pitcher. That’s something we need right now. Good for Jeff that he’s back to the ‘bigs’ and we’ll see how long the length of his stay is.”
Left-hander Kyle Freeland, the Rockies’ best starter this season and Hoffman’s close friend, said the two stayed in constant contact during Hoffman’s time in Triple-A.
“We texted all the time, especially after one of us had a start,” Freeland said. “I think the time was right for Jeff to learn some things down there, and I think it’s going to make him a better pitcher. I think he’s in a good place.”
Hoffman has used his time in Albuquerque to make adjustments to his delivery, but more than that, he’s learned lessons in composure that he believes will serve him well going forward.
“One of the things I discovered is that you have to learn how manage the bad moments. You can’t let them get away from you,” he said. “I think I’ve learned to take a step back and look at the situation. Because as a starter, if you learn to control those bad moments, eventually you are going to get rid of those bad starts.”
No excuses.
Dunn has a 9.00 ERA in 23 appearances — and he knows that won’t cut it. After nine-straight scoreless outings from May 10 to June 1, Dunn hit the wall, beginning a string where he retired just one batter and was charged with six runs on four hits and four walks. The peak of his troubles came Thursday In the Rockies’ 7-5, 13-inning loss at Cincinnati. He entered the game with a threerun lead, but didn’t retire any of his three batters he faced and allowed two runs to score.
Dunn said he’s been dealing with his back injury for a few weeks, but said it flared up Thursday. Still, he shouldered the blame for his poor performance.
“Ultimately, if I tell the team I’m good to pitch, I have to take responsibility going out to the mound and doing my job,” Dunn said. “Yesterday was tough one. I didn’t do my job. I figured instead of hurting the team more, I had to look at getting myself right.”