Los Angeles — Two prominent signs point directly toward prospect Franklin Morales making his major league debut tomorrow in Dodger Stadium.
For starters, Morales was not in the Colorado Springs Sky Sox clubhouse this afternoon, having boarded a plane earlier in the day to Los Angeles. Secondly, the Rockies had no new dialogue with free agent David Wells’ agent today.
Manager Clint Hurdle said they would announce his Saturday starter after tonight’s game. The other option besides Morales would be a bullpen day, involving long relievers Ramon Ortiz and Taylor Buchholz.
Ortiz was activated today with Ramon Ramirez optioned back to AAA Colorado Springs.
“I think of myself as a starter but I will do anything they ask because of the opportunity we have here to go the playoffs,” said Ortiz, who will wear No.44.
Said Ramirez of his demotion, “It’s hard going back and forth but I will just go down there and work to do my best.”
Morales, 21, is considered the Rockies’ top young pitching prospect. He appeared in the Futures Game in San Francisco, where his fastball clocked at 97 miles per hour. His command remains the biggest question, given his near 1-to-1 walks-to-innings pitched ratio.
