MIAMI — Tyler Chatwood walked to danger’s edge Saturday, throwing with a wrenched back and a twice-reconstructed elbow. A small piece of pain for a pitcher can set off a risky set of physical dominoes.
But the Rockies’ ace right-hander escaped serious harm. Chatwood, who left a Saturday start with a strained back, was put on the 15-day disabled list Sunday. He said Monday that he’s confident he can return to the rotation after his stint on the disabled list.
But he was close to a disaster.
“Warming up, something didn’t feel right,” Chatwood said at Marlins Park. “And it kept tightening up as I went. From the get-go, I didn’t have anything. I couldn’t get to my glove side. I was missing everything up (in the zone). I thought I could battle through. But toward the end, my mechanics were so messed up, I was going to hurt something else if I kept going.”
Chatwood said his back feels much better in the two days since he gave up three runs on four hits in 1⅔ innings to the Marlins. His ERA climbed to 3.15, still the best among the Rockies’ starters, and his road ERA spiked from 0.69 to 1.25 — but it is still the best in the major leagues.
His run through , considering his return from a second Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. Chatwood is a rarity, the only pitcher currently starting in the majors after two Tommy Johns surgeries.
Chatwood’s exit Saturday caused a lot of anxiety for the Rockies, but he appears to have escaped more elbow damage.
“I didn’t want to not pitch,” he said. “Anytime I can pitch, I’m going to try to. Looking back at it, I probably shouldn’t have gone out there. Luckily we caught it before anything else went wrong.”
Chatwood, 26, was set to return to Denver on Monday night for more back treatment. His next step, if his back pain eases, is a full bullpen session, then a rehab start.
“I’m trying to make it short, trying to be back on the 15th day,” he said. “That whole time, if you look at it, my mechanics were terrible. I’m running toward first base every time, trying to not feel the pain when I extend. All my misses were terrible. But as long as we get it calmed down, hopefully I can start throwing in a few days.”
