SAN FRANCISCO — Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa went to Albuquerque, N.M., last week for what he expected would be a short visit.
Turns out it’s lasting a bit longer than he’d envisioned.
That doesn’t mean it’s been a painful experience for the Rockies ace, and that’s the important thing.
De La Rosa insisted his strained left groin felt fine April 9 when he pitched four innings for Albuquerque in a Triple-A game against Reno. He allowed only one run — a high-altitude home run — in what he thought would be a cameo minor-league appearance.
But the Rockies are off to a fast start, so there’s no reason to rush their high-priced asset back into the heat of a big-league battle. So a decision was made to make De La Rosa prove he’s truly fully recovered from the groin injury in a second start for Albuquerque on Tuesday night.
Call it a formality. Call it being conservative. The Rockies call it being smart.
The Rockies are confident in their approach. Even before getting a report on the outing, they have tentatively scheduled him to make his big-club debut April 20 against San Diego.