Colorado Rockies shuffle bullpen with Carlos Estevez, Jesus Tinoco

Shortly before the Colorado Rockies took the field in their 2019 home finale against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, the Rockies made a bullpen move.

On Sunday morning, the Colorado Rockies announced that right-handed pitcher Carlos Estevez has been placed on the family medical emergency list. As a corresponding move, the Rockies recalled right-handed pitcher Jesus Tinoco from Triple-A Albuquerque.

Estevez took the loss in Saturday night’s defeat at the hands of the Giants, giving up two walks and two hits that resulted in two runs without recording an out as San Francisco rallied in the eighth inning for a 6-5 decision.

More from Colorado Rockies News

• A Colorado Rockies Thanksgiving
• Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon out for the season
• Colorado Rockies: Injuries shift look of roster ahead of Dodgers series
• Colorado Rockies: 3 things we appreciated from Tuesday in San Francisco
• What Bill Schmidt’s comments mean for the Colorado Rockies in 2023

I asked Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black if he thought the situation affected the performance of Estevez in Saturday night’s game and he said it did not.

So far this season, the 26-year-old right-hander is 1-2 with a 4.26 ERA in 51 games (50.2 innings pitched). He has struggled over his last seven appearances, earning two losses while surrendering 10 hits in 6.2 innings.

Tinoco, meanwhile, has appeared in seven games in this his rookie campaign, with his last appearance coming on July 15. The 24-year-old right-hander has allowed 14 hits in 13 innings, striking out seven and walking four.

“He’s developing,” Black said of Tinoco during Sunday’s pregame media session. “He’s not a finished product by any means but the exposure he’s getting here is helping him. He’s got a good arm. He has some weapons. It’s a process to establish yourself as a really dependable big league pitcher. I think he’s in the early stages of that.”

Black said Tinoco’s ability to throw strikes is the next step in his development.

“All players want things to happen fast,” Black said. “Everyone wants good results but there are growing pains to becoming a big leaguer, both position player-wise and pitcher-wise.”