DENVER — Colorado Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis is making progress with the blister on his right middle finger that has landed him on the disabled list, but is not quite ready for a return just yet.
“Chad will not start on Saturday,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.
In 17 starts this season, Bettis has posted a 5.10 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 95 1⁄3 innings. He went on the DL after leaving a start against the Dodgers on July 1 after just three innings of work.
Bettis being ruled out means the Rockies are still looking for a starting pitcher for Saturday’s game, with Jon Gray, Jeff Hoffman and current bullpen members Harrison Musgrave and Yency Almonte among the candidates.
Though Bettis will not be ready for Saturday, he said he is working diligently to get back into the Rockies starting rotation.
“We’ve tried everything from taking a little bit off of (the finger), to soaking it in pickle juice and salt and rice to try and bring some of that moisture out,” Bettis said.
Bettis threw a 45-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday and said he made some tweaks with his fastball to try to prevent more issues with blisters in the future.
“I changed some things grip-wise, trying to create less friction with it,” Bettis said.
Additionally, Bettis said he threw the bullpen session at 100 percent and feels ready to re-enter the starting rotation as soon as the blister subsides.
“That’s the nice thing about still being able to throw,” Bettis said. “My body feels great, my arm feels awesome, it’s just a very small, minor thing.”
David Dahl Getting Healthy
In addition to Bettis, the Rockies also appear to be getting close to seeing David Dahl return from a broken foot that has sidelined him since May. Dahl hit .275/.309/.484 with four home runs in 97 plate appearances before fouling a ball off of his foot and breaking it on May 30.
“It’d be like we just made a trade, ever heard that one before?” Black said of Dahl’s impending return.
Unlike Bettis, Dahl will require a rehab assignment in the minors before his return, which has not started yet, though he was running on the field prior Thursday’s game against Arizona.