Bullpen not an option for Smith

TUCSON — The Colorado Rockies have some shuffling to do in their bullpen. Left-hander Greg Smith won’t be part of that shuffling.

Manager Jim Tracy made that clear Friday after Smith started and pitched five innings against the A’s when he said of Smith, “He’s not a bullpen guy.”

When the regular season starts April 5, the Rockies will be without closer Huston Street, who will be on the disabled list. Once the inflammation is gone in his right shoulder, Smith will begin a throwing program. But he will in essence be starting spring training again and could miss the first month of the season. Left-hander Franklin Morales will take over the closer’s role, leaving Randy Flores as the other left-hander in the bullpen.

Flores is a situational pitcher, who frequently works less than a full inning. Smith has been stretched out this spring and easily could give the Rockies multiple innings out of the bullpen. But his real value is to start regularly at Triple-A Colorado Springs and be ready to help the Rockies if a need arises in their rotation.

“”I don’t think about that kind of stuff,” Smith said Friday, referring to the possibility of pitching in relief. “I don’t read the articles. I don’t ask questions. I’m whatever they tell me, whenever they tell me. I’m not looking ahead, looking behind, that kind of thing.”

After pitching 190 1/3 innings for the A’s in 2008, Smith had surgery to remove “loose bodies” from his left elbow in late October. Two weeks later, he was traded to the Rockies along with Street and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez for outfielder Matt Holliday. Smith was coming off surgery last spring and then limited to 49 1/3 innings during the season by an assortment of ailments.

“The up and down in the bullpen is not conducive to what he went through the year before last in the wintertime as far as surgery is concerned,” manager Jim Tracy said.”He’s not a bullpen guy.”

In four games this spring, Smith has a 1.93 ERA, allowing 12 hits and three runs in 14 innings with six walks and 14 strikeouts. He gave up three hits and one run to the A’s with one walk and six strikeouts. But Smith threw 86 pitches, just 47 strikes, and, Tracy said, was in hitter’s counts too often.

The Rockies moved Opening Day starter Ubaldo Jimenez to the back fields Friday where he pitched in a camp game for the Rockies Double-A team against the Triple-A squad. He gave up seven hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings with no walks and one strikeout, while Smith was matched up against a major league opponent in his longest Cactus League outing of the spring.

Smith added about 15 pounds over the winter with a protein-rich diet and at 201 pounds said he “feels more durable on the mound than I ever have.” He has made just two professional relief appearances, both at short season Class A Missoula in 2005, his first professional season. Smith said his professional debut was in relief, and his second relief outing came when the Missoula starter pitched one inning by design and Smith came on to replace him.

As far as his thoughts about how the open spot in the Rockies bullpen might affect him, Smith has none.

“My next step is work out tomorrow as a starter,” Smith said. “I’m not going to change any game plans and start speculating, ‘what if?’ until they come to me and say, ‘This is what we need you to do.’ ”

As Tracy made clear, what the Rockies need most is for Smith to stay healthy, take his turn regularly at Colorado Springs be ready should a need arise in their rotation.

Right-hander Tim Redding is a candidate to move into the Rockies bullpen. The Rockies have informed Redding he will work in relief the balance of the spring and he has no chance to crack their rotation, which is set with Jimenez, left-hander Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook, left-hander Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Hammel.

Redding gave up three hits, including two doubles and a triple, and two runs Friday when he came on to pitch the eighth. His appearance was delayed by a six-run seventh when the Rockies sent 11 batters to the plate. Tracy said the fact Redding had to warm up for so long in the bullpen during the big inning worked against him when he took the mound.