The Rockies are kicking Peter Lambert back to the bullpen, manager Bud Black told reporters (X link via Thomas Harding of MLB.com). Lefty Ty Blach is a candidate to step into the rotation spot, though the Rox will wait to see if Blach is needed in relief over the weekend before making that call.
Lambert opened the season in relief. He tossed 11 2/3 innings of three-run ball behind a 61.3% ground-ball percentage over the season’s first few weeks. Colorado gave him another look as a starter when they lost Kyle Freeland to the injured list. Lambert has started three of his past four outings and been hit much harder than he was early in the year. The 27-year-old righty didn’t make it out of the fourth inning in any of his appearances. He allowed at least four runs in all three starts, including a seven-run showing against the Giants on Wednesday.
A former second-round pick, Lambert has generally struggled over the past few seasons. He started 11 of 25 outings last year, allowing 5.36 earned runs per nine. Lambert actually fared much better as a starter than he did in relief in 2023, but that has been flipped this season.
Colorado’s pitching has been below-average in all respects. The bullpen entered play Friday ranked 25th in MLB with a 4.67 ERA. The starting staff has had an even tougher time, sporting an MLB-worst 6.17 earned run average. Even in the context of the game’s toughest home environment for pitchers, that’s subpar production. The Rockies are the only team with a single-digit win total. They enter tonight’s game against the Rangers at 9-28.
Blach, 33, is in his third season with his hometown club. He cracked the big league roster on April 21 after signing a minor league contract over the winter. The soft-tossing southpaw has done a decent job in the early going, allowing only five runs through 13 innings in a long relief role. Blach isn’t going to miss many bats, but he’s not afraid to attack the strike zone and has at least had some success this year. He started 13 of 20 big league outings last season, surrendering a 5.54 ERA through 78 innings.
Great, now my fantasy team is screwed.
Boo hoo. Try drafting Shane Beiber… good fantasy owners know where to tap into free agency. That being said, I’m assuming this is sarcasm.
That was quick.
Stop! Bauer time!
Hector Olivera time! Jeffry Epstein Time!
An attempt at a poor comparison.
Bauer was on Epstein flight logs
Fartcopter produces logs. Wanna try again?
You want to watch? Typical Bauer fan
Watch baseball yes.
You said you want to watch me try again at making a log. I don’t know what you think baseball is, but it’s not me dropping a turd while you watch.
Get help.
I agree, but Bauer has been blackballed.
I’m saying he shouldn’t be.
Dakota Hudson has looked worse than Lambert. If they kicking anyone out, it should be Hudson. Lambert hasn’t been good at all, but you gotta give the guy more than 4 starts.