Colorado Rockies roster move: Scott Oberg activated from paternity list

Before the Colorado Rockies second game of their four game weekend series with the Atlanta Braves, they announced that they have made a roster move.

On Friday, the Colorado Rockies announced that they have activated reliever Scott Oberg off of the paternity list. In a corresponding move, the Rockies announced that they have optioned left-handed reliever Harrison Musgrave back to Triple-A Albuquerque.

After a rough 2017 season where he nearly had an ERA of 5 (4.94 to be exact) in 66 games and a WHIP of 1.611, Oberg has significantly improved in 2018. In 35 games, he is 7-0 with a 3.12 ERA and a WHIP of 1.24.

Outside of Adam Ottavino, Oberg has surprisingly been the Rockies most reliable reliever this season in a year that the bullpen, despite the additions of Wade Davis and Bryan Shaw and the resigning of Jake McGee, has struggled mightily.

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Also, by WAR, Oberg is 9th on the Rockies this season in overall WAR at 1.2. He is behind (in order) Kyle Freeland (5.7), Nolan Arenado (4.8), Trevor Story (4.1), German Marquez (3.1), the aforementioned Adam Ottavino (2.8), Tyler Anderson (2.8), Jon Gray (1.9), and DJ LeMahieu (1.8).

Musgrave is 1-3 with a 5.08 ERA this year, in his rookie season, in 24 games. However, in his last dozen games, which goes all the way back to June 16, Musgrave has pitched to a ghastly 8.16 ERA with nine walks and only seven strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings of work. His opponents also have a .291/.385/.655 slash line against him.

Final Thoughts

With it being two weeks until the month of September rolls around and the Isotopes season ending on September 2nd and not qualifying for the playoffs (they are 14 1/2 games back and in last place in the Pacific Coast League Pacific Southern division), Musgrave will almost certainly be back with the Rockies here in less than three weeks to provide some depth for Bud Black in the bullpen as the Rockies go on their stretch run in September.

It should also be noted that with this move, it looks like Rockies manager Bud Black has decided to stay with the five man bench, albeit with two catchers, for the foreseeable future, which is something that he has not done often in his tenure with the Rockies, much to the chagrin of some fans.