Colorado Rockies game no. 82 thread: José Ureña vs. Mitch White

With Antonio Senzatela on the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation and Ryan Feltner on the MiLB injured list with a rhomboid strain (aka upper back muscles between the shoulders and spine), the Rockies are turning to a new face to take the mound for Wednesday night’s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Welcome to the Rockies José Ureña! Your first task? Preventing a sweep at the hands of the best team in the National League.

The Rockies signed Ureña back in May to a minor league deal and he’s since made nine appearances (five starts) for the Albuquerque Isotopes. The 30-year-old righty has posted a 7.29 ERA in 21 innings with 12 walks and 14 strikeouts over that stretch. On June 29, he made his longest start of the season, which was six innings. In that 11-3 victory over Sugar Land, he gave up three runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Ureña, who hails from the Dominican Republic and is in his eighth season in MLB, started the season with Milwaukee, but was cut after making four relief appearances in April and posting a 3.52 ERA in 7 ²⁄₃ innings. Ureña spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Marlins, including being their Opening Day starter in 2018 and 2019. He split time as a starter and in the bullpen with the Tigers in 2021. He’s made 172 appearances in his career (116 starts) with a 4.76 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and .265 average against in 705 ¹⁄₃ innings.

Ureña has succeeded as a ground-ball pitcher and primarily depends on his sinker, which he throws over 51% of the time, and balances it out with a slider, changeup, and 4-seam fastball. According to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, Alburqueque manager Warren Schaeffer said the plan has been to build Ureña up so he can pitch longer outings: “We built him up over about a month, an extra inning at a time. He’s a big-time competitor. He mixes his pitches well with his offspeed stuff and runs his heater up to 98 [mph].”

In order to make space on the roster to add Ureña, the Rockies designated Colton Welker for assignment (read more about that here).

The Rockies, who have lost two in a row to the Dodgers after starting the season 4-2 record against the NL West’s first-place squad, will face off against RHP Mitch White (1-1, 3.93 ERA). The 27-year-old made his debut with the Dodgers in 2020 and has mostly pitched out of the bullpen in the last three seasons. After starting the year with five relief appearances with a 4.82 ERA with 11 strikeouts and three walks in 9 ¹⁄₃ innings, White moved into L.A.’s rotation on May 21 and has served as the sixth starter, which was needed after Walker Buehler’s landed on the IL about a month ago, where he is expected to be for at least two more months. He’s since made six starts, posting a 3.60 ERA with 22 strikeouts and eight walks.

On Wednesday night, Elehuris Montero will be getting the start at first base for the Rockies with C.J. Cron at DH.

First Pitch: 8:10 p.m. MDT

TV: AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mountain; MLB.tv

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

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