After a month of battling knee soreness, Tyler Anderson is heading to the disabled list with knee inflammation The. Rockies have recalled Jeff Hoffman to start in his place on Sunday, according to USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale and confirmed by Nick Groke.
Anderson has been pitching with a knee brace in his last four starts, and outside his most recent outing against Seattle, he was showing signs of improvement after an abysmal April.
Prior to the start of Friday’s game, the Rockies scratched Hoffman from his start with the Albuquerque Isotopes, leading many to speculate what the corresponding move would follow. This isn’t the first time this season that Hoffman has made a spot start for Anderson. Back in early May, when Anderson’s knee was first giving him trouble, Hoffman was called up to make a start against the Dodgers. He gave up three runs over 51⁄3 innings while striking out eight batters.
Hoffman made another appearance for the Rockies on May 22 in Philadelphia in what was his most dominant performance at the major league level. He went seven strong innings while only giving up one run and striking out seven. His steady progression followed by this great outing left many wondering if he had pitched himself into a spot on the rotation, especially with Tyler Chatwood struggling with his command and Anderson dealing with knee issues.
For now, Hoffman will have an opportunity to prove himself against the pesky Padres, who have won five straight and four out of their seven matchups against the Rockies.