Rockies report: Pitching plans

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 20, 2008 at 8:22 p.m.

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Aaron Cook will start Friday at Cincinnati, pushing back Jorge De La Rosa's next outing. Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez have been the Rockies' two most effective starters, and manager Clint Hurdle said they'll pitch every fifth day, with Kip Wells and left-handers Glendon Rusch and De La Rosa rounding out the rotation.

"We've played with it a number of different ways," Hurdle said, "but we need to see Wells pitch (tonight) and see where that takes us as far as lining him up."

COMING BACK

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will return tonight after a five-game rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Tulsa. Hurdle said Tulowitzki has had no problems with his right hand - a 16-stitch cut July 4 put him on the disabled list - and in a simulated game Saturday and the Drillers game that night made progress on some issues that Hurdle and hitting coach Alan Cockrell discussed with Tulsa hitting coach Dave Hajek.

"He's working with his alignment a little bit as far as his set-up at the plate," Hurdle said. "We got to get him in a better position to hit; that's the bottom line. I think we've gotten to a better place with him and his understanding of what we're looking for, what we need to see and how we think he can get it done."

ETC.

Garrett Atkins, who walked and doubled, has reached base in 20 straight games against Pittsburgh since July 24, 2005. That's the fourth-longest such streak by a Rockies player against the Pirates. . . . Jeff Francis, sidelined since June 28 with left shoulder inflammation, is scheduled to pitch three innings or 45 pitches tonight for Double-A Tulsa at Arkansas and make a second rehabilitation start Saturday for the Drillers, working six innings or about 75 pitches. Francis will be re-evaluated Sunday to determine whether he makes another rehabilitation start or rejoins the Rockies. . . . Trainer Keith Dugger said Todd Helton has increased the exercise load for his ailing back and hip, which have improved, but has not started any baseball-related activity. . . . The back-to-back homers by Baker and Holliday off Duke in the fifth marked the third time the Rockies have done that this season.

• July 21, 2008

  11:48 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  rdingus writes:

  Since the Barmes / Baker combo seems to be working well, should Hurdle even disrupt things (again) by putting Tulo back in the starting line up? Why not use him as a bench player for the time being, get him some ABs, see how things develop. It seems like every time the Rox have gotten on a roll this season, or a player has put together a nice stretch, someone comes back from the DL and we have to find our stride all over again.

• July 21, 2008

  12:17 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  arvada_mark writes:

  I disagree, rdingus. Baker is not working out. The guy is hitting real close to .260 & at best he has average defensive skills. For some reason though, Clint Hurdle has this man-crush on him & refuses to take him out of the line-up. Omar Q, on the other hand, plays defense as good as anybody in the world (4 career errors). They both hit for relatively the same average, Baker flashes power from time to time, & Omar has the wheels to hit at the top of the line-up. Either way, there is no way he should be hitting in the 2 hole. That should be Barmes' spot. You like guys who get on base to be at the top. Baker just makes too many outs to be getting so many at bats. If he must be in the line-up, he should be moved into that 6 hole, behind Hawpe...or maybe 7th after the catcher.

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