Frazier, Sullivan go to Modesto; Hollingsworth promoted to Tulsa

Parker Frazier and Josh Sullivan have been promoted to high Class A Modesto from short-season Class A Tri-City, where both right-handers completed rehab assignments following Tommy John surgery.

Ethan Hollingsworth has moved from Modesto to Double-A Tulsa, where he will start Friday against Arkansas in place of left-hander Christian Friedrich. After suffering a left elbow contusion July 18 when struck with a sharp one-hopper, Friedrich is expected to miss one and possibly two starts.

Hollingsworth, 23, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2008 out of Western Michigan, is 7-7 with a 3.35 ERA in 18 starts for Modesto with 25 walks and 108 strikeouts in 115 2/3 innings. In his past three starts, Hollingsworth is 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA.

Frazier and Sullivan were in extended spring training before going to Tri-City. Frazier, 21, will start Friday for Modesto at home against Lancaster, taking Hollingsworth’s turn in the Nuts’ rotation. Frazier went 10-7 with a 4.48 ERA last year at low Class A Asheville before undergoing Tommy John surgery Sept. 22 and made his 2010 debut not even nine months later, starting for Tri-City in the Dust Devils season-opener June 18.

At Tri-City, Frazier, whose father, George, is an analyst on Rockies television broadcasts and who was drafted in the eighth round in 2007, went 1-3 with a 7.52 ERA in five starts. Thirteen of the 17 earned runs Frazier allowed came in successive starts June 24 and June 29 when he pitched a total of 5 1/3 innings. In his other three starts, Frazier allowed four earned runs in 15 innings.

Sullivan, 26, is scheduled to pitch Saturday, piggybacking with left-hander Kenny Durst. One of them will start the game with the other scheduled to take over in relief. Sullivan has had three arm operations, the last being Tommy John surgery in March 2009. He made his 2010 debut at Tri-City on June 19 and went 1-2 with a 6.23 ERA in five starts. The Rockies drafted Sullivan in the fifth round out of Auburn in 2005. Because of his injuries, Sullivan has never pitched above Asheville and came into this season having pitched just 131 professional innings.

In other minor league news, Asheville left fielder Tyler Massey went on the disabled list with a bruised right knee, an injury he sustained Sunday when he hit a wall while making a catch. Massey, who turned 21 on Wednesday, was drafted in the 14th round in 2008 out of high school. In his second season at Asheville, Massey is hitting .207 with three homers and 20 RBI in 78 games. Five of his RBI came in successive games last week.

Because Asheville starter Tyler Matzek, the 11th player taken overall in the 2009 draft, lasted 1 2/3 innings Wednesday, Tourists manager Joe Mikulik had to use four relievers in his team’s 13-10 win over Hagerstown. To fortify the bullpen, Coty Woods was moved up from Rookie Casper where he went 1-0 with three saves and a 2.19 ERA in eight games. Woods, 22, pitched at Casper last year after being drafted in the 22nd round out of Middle Tennessee State.

It didn’t take long for Woods to see action with Asheville. He earned a save Thursday in the Tourists 13-4 win against Hagerstown, working four innings and allowing four hits and two runs on a two-run homer with no walks and six strikeouts.