SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When spring training started, Franklin Morales, he of the electric arm and inconsistent command, was the biggest question mark in the Rockies’ bullpen.
Not anymore.
Morales has been solid, but Matt Reynolds, the Rockies’ other young left-handed reliever, is struggling to the point where his roster spot isn’t as certain as it once was.
Rockies manager Jim Tracy acknowledged Thursday that there’s competition after Reynolds served up his third home run of the spring in a 12-6 loss to the White Sox.
“Obviously, there’s still some searching going on there,” Tracy said. “We want to know that he’s right, and we’re not to the end of spring training yet. But in order to create a mind-set, you’d like to see him get to the point where you see some consistency and he’s getting hitters out on a regular basis.
“In the meantime, will you continue to sit there and look at other people? Certainly. That’s what we do every day. No question about it.”
Reynolds has worked five Cactus League innings, allowing six runs. He has allowed three home runs, not counting a homer he served up in a B game. Each has come on a fastball or split-finger pitch that tailed over the plate.
“I felt really good out there again, but it was the same thing,” Reynolds said. “One bad pitch throws off the whole outing.”
This time, it was Lastings Milledge who turned on a fastball and planted it in the left-field berm. The glut of home runs is puzzling, since Reynolds doesn’t have a reputation for allowing them, having yielded four last season in 73 innings between Triple-A and the big leagues.
“I’m frustrated, but I still know I can go out there and get outs and get them pretty consistently,” Reynolds said.
Oh, Brothers.
Reynolds is being pushed by veteran Eric Stults and Rex Brothers, who split 2010 between High-A and Double-A. Brothers struck out the side in the eighth, getting Milledge looking on a nasty 3-2 slider. “That slider . . . you don’t hit that pitch,” said Tracy. “I don’t care who you are, what number is on your back, you don’t hit that pitch.”
Footnotes.
Jorge De La Rosa will pitch five innings vs. minor leaguers today. . . . John Maine’s next step in his return from shoulder surgery will come Saturday when he makes his Cactus League debut against the Reds.
Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
