When Jake McGee is at his best, his fastball screams to the plate at 95 mph with late movement that baffles hitters and takes power out of their swings.
The Rockies’ left-hander believes that he’s close to regaining that movement. The Rockies sure hope so, because McGee needs to pitch better if he’s going to contribute to Colorado’s playoff run.
“I think since the all-star break, I think I’ve turned things around and I’m starting to feel really good,” McGee said before Thursday night’s game against the Dodgers. “I gave up some hits in New York, with a single here or there, and (Scott) Oberg came in to get them out. But overall I feel like I’m starting to throw the ball well.”
The raw statistics are not kind to McGee, the centerpiece of the winter trade that sent slugging outfielder Corey Dickerson to Tampa Bay. McGee has posted a 5.58 ERA with a strikeout rate of 6.5 per nine innings. Both numbers are the worst of his career.
Since the all-star break, he has posted a 3.18 ERA over 5⅔ innings. That’s pretty solid, but he has been playing with fire. McGee gave up a solo home run in the ninth inning Tuesday night in Colorado’s 7-3 win over the Dodgers. In two appearances against the Mets last weekend, he twice gave up two hits in an inning, but Oberg rescued the Rockies without allowing any runs.
“Jake’s getting there,” manager Walt Weiss said. “I think I have seen more life to the fastball, so I think he’s heading in the right direction.”
CarGo update. As expected, all-star right fielder Carlos Gonzalez was not in the starting lineup Thursday after turning his left ankle during a seventh-inning at-bat Wednesday night. But the prognosis for Gonzalez is good.
“Everything is pretty positive,” Weiss said. “I knew CarGo would probably be out of the lineup today. Itap about what we expected, which is a positive.”
Weiss said Gonzalez would be available to pinch hit “with the game on the line,” if need be.
If the ankle remains sore, Weiss is confident Gonzalez could get treatment and get back in the lineup.
“It all depends how sore and how tender, but Doogie (head trainer Keith Dugger) can work his magic and (Gonzalez) will be taped up,” Weiss said. “I don’t see him being out too long.”
Story surgery. Rookie shortstop Trevor Story had surgery Thursday to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. He is likely out for the remainder of the season.
“Everything went well, everything was pretty straight forward, no surprises,” Weiss said.
Story, who has slugged 27 home runs this season, injured his thumb during the Rockies’ 7-2 victory at the New York Mets on Saturday. He jammed the thumb while sliding into second base in the top of the fourth inning, then came out in the bottom of the inning after diving for a groundball.
Looking ahead
Marlins RHP David Phelps (5-5, 2.65 ERA) at Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (7-7, 5.51), 6:40 p.m. Friday, ROOT, 850 AM
De La Rosa, 35, is entering what’s likely the final two months of his career with Colorado. He earned the 100th victory of his career (85 with the Rockies) in his last start, holding the Mets to two runs and six hits over six innings at New York. In nine starts since rejoining the rotation June 14, De La Rosa is 5-3 with a 3.54 ERA. He has not fared exceptionally well against the Marlins in his career, going 7-5 with a 5.17 ERA. At Coors Field, however, he’s 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA in four starts. When the Marlins traded Colin Rea back to San Diego, it opened up a spot in the rotation and Phelps took the job, for now. He has worked exclusively out of the bullpen this season, where he has been throwing the ball hard. His fastball is up to an average of 94.8 mph, and his cutter hums at 86.4 mph. That’s in increase of about 3 mph over his 2015 averages.
Saturday: Marlins RHP Andrew Cashner (4-7, 4.54 ERA) at Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (9-6, 5.16), 6:10 p.m., ROOT
Sunday: Marlins LHP Adam Conley (7-6, 3.41) at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (8-4, 3.77), 2:10 p.m., ROOT
Monday: Rangers LHP Cole Hamels (12-3, 2.89) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (4-3, 3.25), 6:40 p.m., ROOT
