Should David Hale Get A Spot In The Colorado Rockies’ Rotation?

Sep 5, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher David Hale (57) throws in the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

David Hale had a good start for the Colorado Rockies this weekend against the Giants. Should the club use him again in place of a current member of the rotation?

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After recovering from an oblique injury to start the season, and earning his keep for a few weeks in AAA Albuquerque, the Colorado Rockies brought David Hale up to Denver to start game two of the doubleheader Saturday afternoon against the San Francisco Giants.

He impressed, winning the game and allowing just three runs (two earned) on eight hits and no walks (no walks!) in 6.2 innings. Now, he’s back in AAA since he was just the 26th man for the doubleheader. But considering the start he had, does Hale deserve to be back in Denver sooner rather than later?

We’re asking that for our poll question this week, so vote here:

As always, you can tweet us @RoxPileFS or me personally at @BobbyDeMuro with your opinions, too, if simply answering the poll isn’t enough (and we’d love to hear from you!).

Now… I think David Hale needs to be in the rotation. Granted, every start of his may not go twenty outs and just allow two earned runs. He’ll certainly have bad starts like everyone else who ever puts on a Colorado Rockies uniform inevitably does.

But guys… NO. WALKS. Hale threw strikes, attacked the zone, went after hitters, and made guys put the ball in play. That’s something Eddie Butler (for one) hasn’t done this year. I’d argue that after Butler’s start this week in Cincinnati, depending on how it goes, Hale might be the candidate to replace him in the rotation.

I know, Jordan Lyles may miss his next start anyways, making the Rockies’ decision easy and forcing their hand to bring up Hale in Lyles’ place. And perhaps Kyle Kendrick starts blowing up again after a few solid starts recently, rendering him the odd man out.

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But Eddie Butler has only thrown 15 innings across his last four starts, and walked 12 batters against just nine strikeouts.

He’s struggling to get hitters out, struggling to miss bats, and regressing as teams see more video and better scouting reports on him as the year goes on.

I know, you hate to burn an option on Butler right now and it’s not like the team is going anywhere this season, anyways. You can certainly make the argument that Butler will learn more in the big leagues under fire than in AAA. But he can’t keep throwing three and four innings in every start, and if he can’t prove to the Rockies he can consistently get at least 18 outs right now, a move needs to be made.

Hale isn’t on the same prospect level as Butler, and nobody’s saying Hale’s going to pitch every fifth day in the same manner he did Saturday, but in the short term, he’s earned himself more starts with the big league club.