PHILADELPHIA — After 22 months of waiting, after nearly two years of arduous rehab on his elbow, Taylor Buchholz arrived with hope and a secret.
The right-handed reliever watched Friday night’s game from his home in Philadelphia, sworn to secrecy because the Rockies weren’t making a roster move until after the game. What’s another few hours to realize a dream?
“I have run the whole gamut of emotions. It’s seems like it’s been a really, really long time,” Buchholz said Saturday. “To finally get back and do it at home in front of friends and family makes it even more special.”
To make room for Buchholz, the Rockies optioned Jhoulys Chacin to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
The Rockies are looking for bullpen reinforcements and have expressed interest in Toronto’s Kevin Gregg, Pittsburgh’s D.J. Carrasco and Arizona’s Chad Qualls.
While momentum builds toward a trade, Buchholz offers an intriguing internal solution — though he struggled in his debut Saturday, tagged for two runs in the sixth inning, his first big-league appearance since Sept. 9, 2008.
If he can stay healthy, if he can command his fastball, if he can unleash fury with his curveball, he could provide a huge lift. It’s not like he hasn’t done it before. In 2007, he pitched meaningful late innings. And two years ago, he was arguably the NL’s top setup man before getting hurt, posting a 2.17 ERA in 63 games.
“He’s not going to be in quite (a setup) role. Similar to how we used (Rafael) Betancourt (last July), we are going to ease him in,” pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. “We kind of have to wait and see what we have.”
Manager Jim Tracy made it clear Buchholz won’t be the bullpen’s long man. Buchholz is more likely to pitch in relief when the Rockies are trailing or leading by a significant margin.
“This move gives Jhoulys Chacin a chance to start games in Colorado Springs, so if we need him, he can throw more than 60 pitches,” Tracy said. “With Taylor, we have a guy with a dynamic arm, but we are not going to thrust him right into the lion’s head.”
The scouting reports for Buchholz’s last three Triple-A outings were encouraging. While his fastball remains slower than before surgery — 88 to 91 mph — he wasn’t nibbling. And his breaking ball showed up. The 12 o’clock-6 o’clock hook is his out pitch.
“It’s hard to throw it in Colorado Springs,” he said, “but when we were in Portland, I really let it go without thinking about it. It was buckling (some knees). It was a good sign.”
Getting his arm right, in many ways, was the easy part. Conquering the head games is more difficult. It’s not unlike a running back who needs to survive that first hit after returning from knee surgery. “I think the physical part is over with or he wouldn’t be here,” Apodaca said. “It’s the mental anguish that every athlete goes through when they come back. They ask themselves, ‘Am I the same guy I was before? Can I be that guy again?’ “
The schedule makes this a delicate balance. The Rockies want to do right by Buchholz but can’t be too patient if he struggles.
“As a player, you want a chance to reach the playoffs. That’s the reason you play,” Buchholz said. “We have that opportunity here, and I want to show I can contribute.”
