Tyler Chatwood placed on 15 day disabled list, awaits MRI results

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss insisted that the team was not going to rush into a decision with starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood and his tight pitching elbow. They would wait a day and then evaluate, he said.

Maybe that’s exactly what the Rockies did, but there seems to be little comfort to be found in the fact that Chatwood was immediately placed on the disabled list Wednesday. Reliever Chad Bettis was brought back up to the club to take Chatwood’s spot.

Chatwood is officially listed with a right elbow strain. Interested observers cannot help but notice that “elbow strains” and “forearm strains” are often the precursors to Tommy John surgery. That has been especially true in 2014; so far this season multiple people have referred to the number of season-ending Tommy John operations as an epidemic.

According to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, Chatwood had his MRI Wednesday and awaits the results Thursday. As for the injury itself, Chatwood described it as follows:

"During warm-ups before the sixth inning I really didn’t get the ball to home plate, but I tried to push through it. I should have known not to. I wasn’t able to control the ball.”"

Do you think that sounds serious? I think that sounds serious.

This would not be the first Tommy John operation for Chatwood, who had the procedure done all the way back when he was 16 years old. To be fair this injury could be less serious than that. But if you’re asking my opinion, I think that the whole situation sounds grim.

The Rockies will get Jhoulys Chacin back this weekend. With that, you are probably looking at this Rockies rotation for the immediate future:

Chacin
Jorge De La Rosa
Jordan Lyles
Juan Nicasio
Franklin Morales

Who would have thought we would ever utter these words: thank goodness for Jordan Lyles.

I see you, Eddie Butler.

Here’s hoping the Rockies receive good news about Chatwood’s status on Thursday.