Due to a left hip impingement, the Colorado Rockies placed Chad Bettis on the 10-day injured list Saturday. The placement is retroactive to Aug. 14.
In his place, the club has recalled Chi Chi Gonzalez from Triple-A Albuquerque. It will be the hurler’s fourth time on the Rockies’ active roster in 2019.
For Bettis, the latest trip to the injured list – formerly the disabled list – will be the fourth of his career. Before the injury, the starter-turned-reliever had appeared in 39 games this year.
After moving to the bullpen following a rough start to the year, Bettis has had marginal success. Across 50.1 innings, he’s registered a 5.36 earned run average after posting an 8.78 mark in 13.1 innings as a starter.
In recent weeks, things have turned awry for Bettis. Across his last 12 chances, he’d allowed 14 earned runs, including five home runs in only 15.1 innings. In that same span, his season-long ERA ballooned from 5.40 to 6.08.
Originally a part of the Rockies’ opening rotation, Bettis joins Tyler Anderson on the injured list after the latter underwent season-ending left knee surgery earlier this year.
The next off day for the Rockies isn’t until Sept. 5. The lack of rest will force the club to likely insert Gonzalez back into a starting role alongside Jon Gray, Kyle Freeland, German Marquez and Peter Lambert.
As a starter, Gonzalez has a 5.84 ERA in five starts in his return to the majors. In 24.2 innings, he’s walked a whooping 13 hitters and struck out 16.
His first start would likely be Monday if the current rotation stays in place.
