Colorado Rockies: Jeff Hoffman is back so is the bullpen better?

The Colorado Rockies needed to do something about their bullpen and its current state of collective slump. That’s exactly what happened on Friday afternoon.

With Mike Dunn going on the 10-day disabled list with a left rhomboid strain (rhomboid muscles are near the scapula), the Rockies called up Jeff Hoffman for his first appearance in a Colorado uniform in 2018. The move was welcomed by Rockies fans who have seen the left-handed Dunn struggled this season to a 9.00 ERA with 17 walks in 16 innings pitched. That includes a 40.50 ERA in 1.1 innings in four June appearances where he has walked four and given up six runs.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing to read is that the rhomboid had been bothering Dunn for a “couple of weeks,” according to a tweet from MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. It means that Dunn hasn’t been 100 percent while on the mound, hurting the Rockies and their chances to close out important games where the bullpen has imploded this month. Why this was allowed to happen is a bit of a head-scratching move as Bud Black looked for anyone to come in and shut down opponents in recent games.

Hoffman, meanwhile, has been serviceable for Colorado’s Triple-A team, making 11 starts and posting a 4.39 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 53.1 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander once again has a chance to make an impact for the Rockies as they battle to stay near the top of the National League West. Hoffman has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but working out of the bullpen for the moment brings back memories of last season when he struggled in relief, posting a 12.00 ERA in seven relief appearances versus a 5.28 ERA in 16 starts.