Phoenix — The baseball gods have thrown the Rockies another curveball.
Right-hander Aaron Cook, who began the season as the team’s No. 1 starter, is out for the rest of the season after re-injuring a muscle in his left ribcage during a rehab start for Triple-A Colorado Springs Saturday night.
“He’s done,” manager Clint Hurdle said this morning. “He’s already been down for 22 days, so he’s not going to come back with what’s left of the season. It’s very unfortunate for him.”
Cook lasted just one inning during a rehab start for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on Saturday night. Cook allowed three runs on four hits. Cook finished the season with an 8-7 record and a 4.12 ERA in 25 starts.
And there’s more bad news for the Rockies, who have seen their playoff hopes dwindle as the result of their 2-3 record on the current road trip. Long reliever Taylor Buchholz has inflammation in his right elbow and was sent back to Denver for further examination. He was unavailable in Saturday night’s 13-7 loss to Arizona, forcing Hurdle to use set-up man Jorge Julio in the fourth inning.
To bolster the bullpen, the Rockies called up right-handers Ryan Speier and Juan Morrillo from Triple-A. They will be active for this afternoon’s game.
“We’ve had our fair share of injuries,” Hurdle said. “That being said, there have been a bunch of other teams with injuries. We just have to step up and come up with a plan. That’s the way it’s done.”
Hurdle said there are no immediate plans to alter the starting rotation, even though fill-in starter Elmer Dessens was blasted for seven runs in just 1 1/3 innings Saturday night.
Staff Writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
