Etkin: Sky’s the limit for Aneury Rodriguez

Published August 4, 2006 at midnight

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The Rockies have been mining Latin America for pitchers in recent years, coming up with a host of prospects.

There’s Ubaldo Jimenez, 22, at Triple-A Colorado Springs, Juan Morillo, 22, at Double-A Tulsa and Samuel Deduno, 23, and left-hander Franklin Morales, 20, at high Single-A Modesto. All are from the Dominican Republic except Morales, a native of Venezuela.

Aneury Rodriguez, 18, is further down in the minors, pitching at Short-season single-A Tri-City and also from the Dominican Republic. Because of his age, the feel he has for pitching and the three pitches he possesses, Rodriguez ultimately might surpass the other Latin prospects mentioned above.

"A lot of pitchers from the Dominican Republic, they just want to throw hard, especially early in their career," Tri-City manager Fred Ocasio said. "Rodriguez at an early age knows how to pitch, already. He’s smart. He knows when he needs to go in on a hitter, throw his changeup and stuff like that. That’s what’s impressive with him. He knows how to make adjustments.

"He’s aggressive in the strike zone. He throws all his pitches for strikes. To pitch in this league at 18 — it’s like everyone is pretty much 21-22 years old — he’s done outstanding."

Rodriguez is 3-1 with a 2.34 ERA in nine starts for the Dust Devils. He’s second in the Northwest League in innings pitched (50) and third in strikeouts (46). Rodriguez has allowed 17 walks and 44 hits, including just one homer.

Tri-City pitching coach Doug Linton called Rodriguez "very attentive" and said, "He really wants to learn. Him being here in the Northwest League at 18 years old and having the success he’s having — he’s way ahead of schedule."

Rodriguez is 6-foot-5, lanky and has very long fingers. His most recent start at Vancouver on Monday left Rodriguez with a deceptively good pitching line — five innings, four hits, one run, one earned run, one walk and four strikeouts.

In truth, Rodriguez threw 66 strikes and a season-high 106 pitches. He was working with a growing lead — 2-0 after the first, 3-0 after the second, 4-0 after the third and 8-1 after the fourth, which proved to be the final score.

"It wasn’t one of his most effective outings," Linton said. "But for as many pitches as he threw, it was because he wasn’t able to put some batters away but he never really got in trouble. A lot of guys his age, they get to 2-2, 3-2 and they walk guys."

Rodriguez throws an 89-90 mph fastball and on a few occasions has touched 93 mph. His repertoire also includes a curveball and changeup. Linton said a priority with Rodriguez has been getting him to use his height to his advantage and deliver the ball on a good downhill angle.

"The kid throws strikes," Linton said. "That’s another thing, at 18 years old, you get kids who still have a problem with command. And he doesn’t have that. He throws strikes in the zone, but throughout a ballgame, because he’s so tall and lanky, he tends to get long (with his stride). And when he gets long, he gets underneath pitches."

The result, Linton said, is Rodriguez will tend to push his curveball and changeup. But those faults are happening less frequently since Tri-City’s season began, Linton said.

Rodriguez signed with the Rockies as a free agent Feb. 2, 2005, and has made vast strides from last year where he began his career at Rookie Casper. At the age of 17, Rodriguez went 3-4, 7.55 in 15 starts. He allowed 52 earned runs, the most of any pitcher in the Pioneer League — where it’s safe to say plenty of balls that should be caught end up being hits — but provided glimpses of what he could do with his fastball, changeup and curveball.

If 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock describes the ideal break on a curveball, Rodriguez’s is a 1 to 7, Linton said.

"It’s got good bite, but it’s going to get better," Linton said. "There’s a lot of room for improvement. He’s only 18 and the sky’s the limit for this kid."

So too with Rodriguez’s changeup. During extended spring training games, Linton said there were a couple games when Rodriguez "started throwing the changeup behind in the count 1-0 and 2-1 and throwing it for strikes. That lets me know he has a good feel for this pitch and he can do it."

At Tri-City, Linton said Rodriguez has done that "every now and then."

Two starts ago, Rodriguez pitched a season-high eight innings on 91 pitches and held visiting Eugene scoreless on two hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts in an 8-2 win. That was the beginning of a three-start roll, during which Rodriguez, who won’t turn 19 until Dec. 13, is 3-0, 0.95 with four walks and 21 strikeouts in 19 innings and 12 hits allowed.

"He’s far ahead of the learning curve," Linton said. "He’s 18 and still growing into his body. He needs to get a little bit stronger, which he will do. You see more velocity coming in this guy."

Along with secondary pitches that will get better with experience for this teenager with an extremely bright future.

Triple-A: Colorado Springs

Second baseman Jayson Nix (.251-2-26) twisted his left knee Monday at Memphis and tore an anterior cruciate ligament. He will undergo surgery Aug. 7. Nix rounded third base and jumped to avoid the catcher but got tangled up and landed awkwardly...Infielder Josh Wilson (.306-7-32) has hit in 11 of his past 12 games, going 21-for-48 with four doubles, four homers and 16 RBI...First baseman Carlos Rivera (.351-7-54) is 13-for-21 with two doubles and three RBI in his past five games, raising his average 19 points to a season-high .352...Right fielder Jeff Baker (.289-11-84) is in a 5-for-42 skid, albeit with two doubles and eight RBI, dropping his average to its lowest point since May 18 (.285)...Outfielder Sean Barker (.258-5-29) returned Monday after being out with a right shoulder injury sustained while crashing into a wall and making a spectacular catch July 6 at Salt Lake. With the return of Barker, outfielder Matt Miller was sent to Tulsa. Miller hit .333-0-3 in eight games for the Sky Sox, the first on July 21 after being promoted from high Single-A Modesto where he hit .323-12-77 in 92 games...Shortstop Kaz Matsui (.291-1-8) has gone 8-for-33 since he returned July 24 from the back spasms that sidelined him soon after signing with the Rockies...The Sky Sox have won four games in a row after beating Round Rock on Thursday night ...Ryan Spilborghs (.329-5-30) has 13 hits in his past 26 at-bats with three doubles and three RBI.

Double-AA: Tulsa

Left-hander Zack Parker (1-2, 10.13) was placed on the seven-day disabled list with a left ankle sprain. In six starts since being demoted from Colorado Springs, Paker had allowed 24 walks and 28 hits in 24 innings with 22 strikeouts. Recently, the troubles have mounted for Parker. In his past two starts, Parker pitched a combined three innings and gave up nine hits, 11 walks and 15 runs with three strikeouts...Marc Kaiser (7-8, 4.79) will replace Parker in the Drillers rotation Saturday and make his first start since he sustained a left groin injury July 14...First baseman Joe Koshansky (.301-27-96) could break both the Drillers’ home run and RBI records. Kevin Buckley set the home run record with 32 in 1983, and Bubba Smith equaled it in 1996. Carlos Pena set the RBI record with 105 in 2000. The all-time Tulsa records are 49 homers by Guy Sturdy in 1926 and 153 RBI by Russ Burns in 1949....With second baseman Matt Macri (.233-8-35) done for the season because of a broken left hamate bone and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (.297-11-51) on the seven-day disabled list, infielder Jeff Dragicevich (.333-0-0) was promoted from Modesto where he hit .275-3-33 in 75 games. Tulowitzki was hit by a pitch on the left hand Saturday. He hit soft-toss pitches Thursday and could be ready to play Sunday when he is eligible to be activated...Juan Morillo (8-7, 4.84) hit 100 mph and pitched at 97 mph Wednesday when he allowed seven hits and two runs with two walks and a season-high nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings — one out short of his longest outing of the season April 30...Third baseman Ian Stewart (.284-8-60) has methodically rebounded after his average fell to .249 on June 14. The following day, Stewart began a 13-game hitting streak, which ended July 7. Then came a seven-game hitting streak followed by two hitless games. Stewart currently has a hit in 15 consecutive games, going 23-for-65 with eight doubles, two triples, one homer and 12 RBI....Right fielder Seth Smith (.296-13-56) hit 10 homers in 387 at-bats before homering in three consecutive games — two at Springfield on Monday and Tuesday and home against Wichita on Wednesday.

High Single-A: Modesto

Left-hander Franklin Morales (7-8, 3.93) hit 98 mph with his fastball and pitched at 95 mph in a win Wednesday when he allowed five hits and two runs in seven innings with two walks and eight strikeouts as the Nuts beat Rancho Cucamonga 6-2....Catcher Neil Wilson (.287-2-20) was brought to Denver to see a disease specialist after being sidelined with a staph infection for the third time this season, this one in his lower left leg...Right fielder Doc Brooks (.241-11-43) returned last Friday. He had last played June 13 and had been sidelined with bone spurs in his right elbow. In his first seven games back with the Nuts, Brooks went 7-for-26 with one double, two homers and nine RBI...With five straight wins through Wednesday, the Nuts matched their longest winning streak of the season.

Low Single-A: Asheville

Converted shortstop Pedro Strop was promoted to Asheville after going 1-0, 2.08 in 11 relief appearances at Rookie Casper and holding opponents to a .188 (9-for-48) average. In 13 innings, Strop allowed three runs and two walks with 22 strikeouts. Strop had at least one strikeout in each of his 11 appearances and struck out the side four times, including his final games with the Dust Devils. On Thursday Strop worked one shutout inning walking two and striking out one in his Asheville debut...After making 27 relief appearances for the Tourists, Chad Bailey (2-0, 3.68) was sent to Short-season single-A Tri-City to make room on the roster for Strop...Second baseman Eric Young Jr. (.273-5-38) has raised his average from .250 on July 19 by since going 19-for-40 with seven multiple hit games. That spree includes four doubles, two homers, eight RBI and nine stolen bases, giving Young 73 for the season in 100 attempts...Switch-hitting center fielder Dexter Fowler (.285-6-30) homered from each side of the plate April 6 when the Tourists opened the season. Fowler has since hit four homers in 294 at-bats including one Thursday...Shane Lindsay (0-0, 6.75) allowed 11 walks and nine hits in eight innings with eight strikeouts in his first two starts after being promoted from Tri-City.

Short-season single-A: Tri-City

Opponents are batting .189 against Josh Sullivan (0-3, 2.29), a power pitcher who is winless in seven starts despite allowing 25 hits and 10 walks in 35 1/3 innings with 38 strikeouts....Reliever William Harris (1-0, 1.17 with two saves) has allowed nine hits and three walks in 15 1/3 innings with 16 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .175 against Harris...After going 0-for-12 in three games to begin his professional career, first baseman Jeff Kindel (.344-1-17) has a hit in 12 of his past 14 games and driven in at least one run in 10 of them...Andrew Graham (0-0, 3.79) moved into the rotation July 19 and has allowed four runs, three earned, in 13 1/3 innings in three starts. He threw five scoreless innings Sunday and worked four scoreless innings in his first start.

Rookie: Casper

Brandon Hynick (4-2, 1.94) has not allowed a run or a walk in 17 innings in his past three starts with 24 strikeouts in that stretch. Overall, Hynick, who was drafted in the eighth round in June out of Birmingham-Southern, has five walks and 47 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings. He has the second lowest ERA in the Pioneer League and is tied for first in strikeouts. Hynick throws a 91-92 mph sinking fastball, a slider that is getting better and a very good changeup...Left fielder Jay Cox (.307-1-16) has three hits in his past 20 at-bats and, not surprisingly, eight strikeouts in that stretch...Reliever Chris Buechner (1-0, 1.35) finished his 30-day rehabilitation assignment and was recalled and transferred to Casper’s roster because Buechner, 22, meets the age and experience regulations for the Pioneer League...Sandy Nin (0-3, 5.84) was taken off the roster and placed back on the disabled list after making three starts on a rehabilitation assignment and feeling the soreness in his elbow that sidelined him earlier at Colorado Springs where he went 1-3, 4.55 in six starts. Nin flew back to Denver on Wednesday and underwent another magnetic resonance imaging exam.

etkinj@RockyMountainNews.com

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