This is one of those unsurprising moves that still takes a moment to sink in: The Rockies have optioned struggling pitcher Kyle Freeland, the team announced.
There’s no way to criticize the move. Freeland has been getting shelled lately, and the if the Rockies want to be competitive, they really can’t keep sending him out there one to two times a week. In Albuquerque he’ll be able to figure things out in less stressful pitching situations.
This is the second consecutive year the Rockies have optioned a guy who was supposed to be a rotation anchor. Last season they sent Jon Gray to Triple-A in late June when he wasn’t right. He was only down there for a couple of weeks, but it did seem to help. He had a 5.77 ERA prior to his demotion and a 4.37 ERA after.
The Rockies made a few other moves. They optioned outfielder Yonathan Daza back to Triple-A. The two vacant spots on the major league roster will be occupied by Chris Rusin, who was reinstated from the IL, and Jesus Tinoco (The Third Prospect) has been recalled for the first time.