Jake McGee Activated as Colorado Rockies Make Moves

The Colorado Rockies have been patiently waiting for some of their much-needed arms to come off the disabled list. The first one happened on Saturday night and could have a far-reaching impact on the roster.

Prior to their road game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Rockies reinstated left-handed pitcher Jake McGee from the 15-day disabled list and designated left-hander Yohan Flande for assignment.

McGee was the Colorado closer before injuring his knee in a loss to San Diego on June 10. He was placed on the disabled list the following day.

The 29-year-old McGee is 0-2 with 15 saves in 18 save opportunities for the Rockies this season. He had a 4.98 ERA with six walks and 15 strikeouts over his 24 relief appearances with the Rockies before his stint on the disabled list.

In his rehab assignments, he was 1-0 in two appearances for High-A Modesto, working two innings with one hit batter against seven batters faced.

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What his role with the Rockies will be was still up in the air when Colorado manager Walt Weiss was asked about it during the recent series with the Toronto Blue Jays.

““He’s in the conversation,” Weiss said about McGee coming back and his role. “There are a handful of guys who may be coming back around the same time. We have those conversations every day.”

Flande, meanwhile, was designated for assignment after being torched in his June 28 outing against Toronto. He gave up seven hits and six runs (five earned) in just 2.2 innings pitched, spiking his ERA to 12.27 in two appearances with the Rockies this season.

Thought of as an option for middle relief with Christian Bergman and others on the disabled list, the 30-year-old Flande was tabbed from Triple-A Albuquerque for his third run with the Rockies on June 25. In his two appearances, he surrendered a combined eight hits and six runs (five earned) with three walks in 3.2 innings.

In 2015, Flande made 19 appearances (10 starts) with the Rockies in 2015, going 3-3 with a 4.74 ERA.

He made his Major League debut with the Rockies in 2014, going 0-6 with a 5.19 ERA in 16 games (10 starts).

With the Rockies, Flande always had more success in relief than starting. He was 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA in 17 career relief appearances, while going 2-8 with a 5.51 ERA in 20 career starts.

Next: Why We Believe McGee Should Be the Colorado Closer

With Flande being designated for assignment, the Rockies now have 39 players on their 40-man roster. That spot could well be taken soon by pitcher Jeff Hoffman, who has been rumored to be making his MLB debut soon. This move could set the tone for that in the coming days.