Colorado Rockies: Jeff Hoffman's talent and upcoming rotation decisions

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Jun 4, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jeff Hoffman pitches during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

The way that Jeff Hoffman is pitching right now, the 24-year-old right-hander is forcing the Colorado Rockies to make a decision very soon about their rotation.

Hoffman looked solid through his seven innings in San Diego on Sunday afternoon, holding the Padres to just three hits and striking out a career-high nine Padres to pace the Rockies to a 3-1 decision.

Called up from Triple-A to fill a spot in the rotation yet again, Hoffman once again came through in a big way. In his three starts this season, he is 3-0 with a 2.36 ERA with 24 strikeouts and just two walks.

Hoffman’s only hiccup on Sunday came in the fifth when he gave up a massive homer to Hunter Renfroe to open the inning. Franchy Cordero followed with a single and it looked as if the Padres might have discovered a chink in Hoffman’s armor. However, after a visit to the mound by Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster, Hoffman struck out two of the next three batters he faced, putting an exclamation mark on the inning and preventing the Padres from gaining any kind of momentum.

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He retired the next nine batters he faced after Cordero’s single. Hoffman was efficient and focused, looking every bit like the player the Rockies coveted in the trade that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto in 2015.

With his outing on Sunday, Hoffman has built on a season that has seen him take major strides in his confidence and skills. Consider this for a moment. Last September, Hoffman gave up seven runs in 2.2 innings in a 14-1 loss at San Diego. That pitcher is not at all the same Hoffman who took the mound at Petco Park on Sunday. Any San Diego road demons from last season were exorcized quickly.

What has made the difference? Last season, Hoffman threw just 61.5 percent of his pitches for strikes and had 17 walks in 31.1 innings. This season, heading into Sunday, Hoffman had walked just two in 13.2 innings and had thrown a strike 66 percent of the time.

Against the Padres on Sunday, Hoffman continued to use his curve and fastball effectively, mixing up his pitches all over the zone.

Hoffman was called up from Triple-A to start on Sunday when fellow starter Tyler Anderson was placed on the 10-day disabled list. For now, Colorado’s rotation is Hoffman, Tyler Chatwood, German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland. However, with Anderson able to return from the disabled list mid-month and Jon Gray making his way back from a foot injury, Bud Black and the Rockies will have to figure out how to squeeze seven pitchers into a five-man rotation.

Let’s look at a best-guess scenario on what will happen over the next couple of weeks in the Rockies rotation.

May 19, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tyler Anderson (44) against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

When Anderson returns from injury, he’ll be sent to Triple-A for a rehab assignment. He may be in Albuquerque for longer than expected if he doesn’t show that he’s completely healed from his knee injury that landed him on the disabled list or that his mechanics haven’t improved from what we’ve seen from a season where he’s posted a 5.85 ERA.

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The same can be said for Gray, who will need to get some innings in during a rehab assignment.

If one pitcher (Gray or Anderson) is brought back to the big leagues, reliever Carlos Estevez is sent back down to Triple-A and Marquez moves to the bullpen. If reliever Adam Ottavino comes back from his injury before one of the starters returns, Estevez could be sent down sooner. If that’s the case, the Rockies will be looking for a roster spot (see next paragraph for some possibilities).

When both Anderson and Gray return, it gets very interesting. Estevez is sent down and Marquez is moved to the bullpen for one pitcher spot. With Jordan Lyles improving as the season goes along, he’s still not safe from losing his roster spot to make room for a returning starter. Chad Qualls could also be a victim of the Rockies needing a roster spot.

Still, one of the six starters (Anderson, Chatwood, Freeland, Gray, Hoffman and Senzatela) will have to move to the bullpen as Black has stated he’s not interested in a six-man rotation. It could well be who is the least effective starter at that moment.

Chatwood hasn’t come out of a Major League bullpen since 2012. Freeland has never pitched out of the bullpen. Neither has Anderson. Senzatela and Gray have just once in their minor league careers.

That leaves Hoffman as the pitcher with the most bullpen experience of the group, including twice last season and a bullpen stint earlier this year. However, that was his most disappointing outing of the season as he gave up a run in 1.1 innings against the Chicago Cubs. Could that make him the odd man out?

Next: 5 guarantees for the rest of the season

There are no easy answers when it comes to Colorado’s rotation quandary. However, it’s a good problem to have when the Rockies are seemingly loaded with talent to start every game.

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