Chad Bettis close to a minor league rehab assignment

Starting pitcher Chad Bettis has been out for the 2017 with testicular cancer

Rockies’ starting pitcher Chad Bettis will soon be sent out on a minor league rehab assignment since he has recovered from testicular cancer and chemotherapy. He was originally hoping to return to the Rockies’ by the All-Star break but if all goes well in his rehab assignment, he will return shortly after the All-Star break.

Bettis this week

Bettis is with the Rockies’ this week and he has had a bullpen session and he is going to throw batting practice to the Rockies and if all goes well there, that’s when he will be sent on the minor league rehab assignment.

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Timeline of the cancer

During the offseason, on November 29, Bettis had surgery to remove his testes but when spring training rolled around, during a checkup, he announced that the cancer had spread so he would need to undergo chemotherapy (the dates are courtesy of this MLB.com article by Rockies’ reporter Thomas Harding in March).

Bettis’ performance in 2015 and 2016

In 2015, Bettis started 20 games for the Rockies and he went 8-6 with a 4.23 ERA in 115 innings. His ERA+ was 110 (100 is league average) and his FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching, which measures the prevention of homers, walks, and hit batters while getting strikeouts) was 3.85 (if the FIP is at or lower than the ERA, that is considered excellent). He walked nearly eight batters per nine innings and walked just north of three per nine innings. He also had a WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of 2.6.

In 2016, he started 32 games and went 14-8 with a 4.79 ERA in 186 innings and His ERA+ was 102. He had a FIP of 4.26 and nearly struck out seven per nine innings compared to just under three walks per nine innings, and a 1.4 WAR.

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Analysis

If all goes well for Bettis in his rehab, he will provide a tremendous help for the Rockies’ rotation. The rotation was the main issue during their eight game losing streak last week. If he can be the anchor for the Rockies’ rotation as he has in 2016 and part of 2015, they will all be able to take a rest and save some innings for the postseason.