A long season has caught up to Rockies ace Aaron Cook, who will miss Thursday’s start with a stiff back, as first reported by The Denver Post today.
Cook, who leads Colorado in victories at 14-8, is not expected to land on the disabled list, but is suffering fatigue in his lower back that will require more rest.
“We feel by pushing him back, we can avoid the disabled list,” said manager Clint Hurdle, who is unsure when Cook will be ready. “If he has to go on the DL, he has to go on the DL missing five starts minimum.”
Glendon Rusch will fill in for Cook in the rotation followed by Jorge De La Rosa and Livan Hernandez.
Cook has downplayed questions about whether he has hit a wall, but he has not been the same pitcher in his past two outings. He failed to reach six innings in back-to-back starts for the first time this season, against the Nationals and Padres.
A scout who tracked Cook’s last game said the right-hander wasn’t finishing the same on his delivery compared to earlier starts.
