Rockies 10, Padres 1:
Tyler Chatwood pitches eight strong innings as Colorado routs San Diego.
san diego» The Rockies on Sunday will shuffle their starting pitching deck with Jeff Hoffman, after the club calls up the rookie righthander to start in place of lefty Tyler Anderson against the Padres.
Anderson will move to the 10-day disabled list with what his manager said is left knee inflammation. Anderson missed a start in early May for the same injury and has since pitched with a knee brace.
But the 27-year-old on Saturday went through his standard routine, playing catch on flat ground over 90 feet, the drill he uses the day before every start.
“It’s good. Feels good,” Anderson said of his knee about an hour before the Rockies and Padres played the second of a three-game series. Asked if he would start Sunday, Anderson said: “As far as I know, yeah.”
The Rockies’ rotation, though, has struggled some in recent starts as the team lost five of eight games through Saturday. Anderson gave up six runs on 11 hits over five innings in a blowout loss to the Mariners at Coors Field last week, raising his ERA to 5.85.
“We’re going to play it safe (with Anderson),” manager Bud Black said. “He feels OK, but we’re being precautionary.”
Hoffman has started two games for the Rockies this season, including an impressive seven-strikeout appearance in a victory May 22 at Philadelphia. He gave up just three hits and one run.
Anderson’s DL time will backdate to May 31, which allows him to miss just one start, if the Rockies choose that route.
Gray giddy. Right-hander Jon Gray (broken foot) threw a 41-pitch, full-arsenal side session Saturday — and he was giddy about it.
“Everything on the mound feels great,” he said.
Gray is quickly ramping up his return from an injury suffered fielding a chopper on the mound in San Francisco on April 13. He said the past week of physical work resulted in “a big improvement.” Gray said his pitches are improving too.
“I hadn’t gripped a changeup in two weeks. And I threw two of them today, and they were the best I’d ever thrown,” Gray said.
Footnotes. Right-handed rookie German Marquez, who tried to field a comeback hit Friday with his pitching hand, said the hand is “a little sore, but it’s not too bad.” … Left fielder Gerardo Parra went 2-for-2 with two walks. He is 12-for14 at the plate in his past four starts. … Nolan Arenado’s home run in the fifth inning was his 14th this season, tying him for the team lead with Mark Reynolds.