Rockies may remove Davis as closer after too many late-game meltdowns
Far too many walks and too many late-game meltdowns by Wade Davis have the Rockies considering removing Davis as the club’s closer.
“We are contemplating a few things,” manager Bud Black said Friday before the Rockies hosted the Dodgers at Coors Field.
If the Rockies remove Davis from the closer’s role, whether short term or long term, righthander Scott Oberg would fill that role.
Davis, 33, owns a 6.00 ERA after giving up four runs in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 12-8 victory over Colorado Thursday night. Lately, it’s been a roller-coaster ride. Davis blew two saves against the Padres at Coors Field on June 14 and 16, and struggled against the Dodgers last weekend in Los Angeles, but then saved two games at San Francisco.
The right-hander, who signed a three-year, $52 million contract prior to the 2018 season, has given up 16 walks in just 24 innings this season. That’s an average of 6.0 walks per nine innings. Plus, opponents are batting .289 against him.
“The walk rate, for me, is concerning,” Black said. “Wade and I have talked about this, and we will continue to talk about it.”
Davis acknowledged Thursday night that he must bring down the walks, but added that he “needed to stay aggressive.”
For more than a year, Oberg has been Colorado’s most-consistent reliever. He’s 5-1 with a 2.04 ERA this year in his role as the primary set-up man. Since May 29 last year, when he was called up after a stint at Triple-A, Oberg is 12-2 with three saves, 21 holds and a 1.75 ERA. In the eighth inning Thursday night, he struck out the top of the order, fanning Joc Pederson, Alex Verdugo and Justin Turner.
Oberg said he’d be comfortable in the closer role, but did acknowledge that the high-leverage job is “a different animal.”
“It’s different at the end of the game, but I would try to treat it like any other outing and pitch my game,” Oberg said. “You have to get ahead, especially here at Coors. That’s key. And you can’t walk guys. I’ve run into that situation before here where it’s walks and homers, and they you are dead meat.”
Story’s story.
Injured shortstop Trevor Story (sprained right thumb) is taking batting practice again and is scheduled to join Triple-A Albuquerque for a twogame rehab stint beginning Saturday. If all goes well, Story will be able to rejoin the Rockies for their final five games before the all-star break.
Footnotes.
Right-handed reliever Seunghwan Oh (abdominal strain) threw 20 pitches in a live bullpen session Friday. He’s scheduled to throw again on Tuesday or Wednesday. … Lefthanded pitching prospect Ben Bowden, currently pitching at Triple-A, is the Rockies’ lone representative in the All-Star Futures Game on July 7 at Progressive Field in Cleveland. … With his selection to the All-Star Game Thursday, Nolan Arenado became one of only four National League third baseman to be voted in as a starter for at least three consecutive seasons. The others were Scott Rolen (2002-05) and Mike Schmidt (1979-84) and Matt Williams (1994-96).