Greg Reynolds wants to be part of the Rockies’ starting rotation next season. He has a lot of work in front of him.
Reynolds, the second overall pick in the 2006 draft, gave up six runs on seven hits in 1 1/3 innings Sunday. The Diamondbacks batted around in their first at-bat, cranking out three doubles and gaining a 5-0 lead.
In his last three big-league starts, Reynolds has been raked for 20 runs on 23 hits in a combined 4 2/3 innings. His problem has been an inability to get his sinker to sink. Instead, his most dominant pitch is coming to the plate flat — and getting crushed.
“It’s frustrating to have bad outings,” said Reynolds, who also gave up a leadoff solo homer to Chris Young in the second. “But you’ve got to have a short-term memory. After a bad outing, you’ve just got to get back on track and keep working hard.”
Helton update.
Todd Helton doesn’t expect to play again this season. He will visit back specialist Robert Watkins on Wednesday in Southern California after a month-long stretching program failed to yield dramatic results.
“Hopefully we can pinpoint what’s causing my pain and find the best method to get me better,” Helton said.
Helton had a minor setback after two pinch-hit appearances. He wasn’t in the “crippling pain like before,” but he could see it heading in that direction.
“There’s no way I could play a game right now,” Helton said.
Footnotes.
Garrett Atkins hit a three-run homer off Dan Haren in the fourth, giving Atkins 20 homers, his third straight season with at least 20 home runs. . . . Closer Brian Fuentes, quoted last week as saying he had “a dominant” fastball,” wants to set the record straight. “I never said that. I said my fastball was my predominant pitch.”
Patrick Saunders and Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
