Edgar Gonzalez, Millwood join Rockies, Stewart optioned, Lindstrom on DL
The Colorado Rockies added right-handed pitchers Kevin Millwood and Edgar Gonzalez to their roster. To make room, they optioned third baseman Ian Stewart to Triple-A Colorado Springs and placed reliever Matt Lindstrom on the 15-day disabled list.
As a result of the moves, the Rockies have a full 40-man roster.
Millwood, 36, signed to a major league contract and will start Wednesday night at Cincinnati in the turn that had been occupied by Juan Nicasio. Gonzalez, 28, last pitched in the majors on Sept. 27, 2009, as a member of the A’s. He also pitched for the Diamondbacks from 2003-2008 and has a career record in the big leagues of 14-25 with a 5.88 ERA in 106 games, including 41 starts.
Gonzalez has pitched at Tampa Bay’s Triple-A Durham affiliate this season and Colorado Springs after signing a minor league contract with the Rockies on June 9. The Rockies purchased his contract from Colorado Springs. Gonzalez went 3-3, 4.56 in 11 starts for Durham and is 3-3, 4.82 in 11 starts for the Sky Sox. He last pitched on Saturday and will give the Rockies bullpen depth and, in particular, a long reliever if needed should Millwood run into early trouble against the Reds tonight in his first appearance in the majors since Sept. 29, 2010, with the Orioles.
Stewart, 26, who was the Rockies Opening Day third baseman, has had three tours totaling 48 games with them this season and is hitting .156 (19-for-122) with six doubles, six RBI and 14 runs scored with 37 strikeouts. He has a .243 on-base percentage and .221 slugging percentage. Stewart went hitless in his first 22 at-bat with runners in scoring position and is 3-for-30 in those situations.
During Stewart’s most recent tour with the Rockies, which began July 5, he has gone 13-for-75 (.173) with five doubles, five RBI and 11 runs scored. Manager Jim Tracy put Stewart in the lineup for 10 straight games 13 of the first 14 after he rejoined the Rockies, but Stewart was unable get untracked. He has started one of the past five games and three of the past 10, and Stewart’s future with the Rockies is very much in doubt.
Lindstrom, 31, last pitched on Friday. The club said he’s going on the disabled list with a nerve injury in his upper right arm. In 50 games this season, Lindstrom is 2-1, 2.89 with 44 hits allowed and 11 walks in 43 2/3 innings and 30 stikeouts. This is Lindstrom’s third time on the disabled list
Should of traded Stewart at trade deadline.
Well, I would have traded Stewart too, but you wouldn’t get anything for him. His trade value is worthless. And was just as bad at the deadline. I promise the Rockies were offering him for a pack of gum, and got no takers.
They should just send Ian Stewart home to his wife and kids and tell him they will see him in 4 months and come ready to play.
What a nightmare season for Ian. Bummer.
Nobody could have predicted that on August 10th Ian Stewart would have zero home runs. If I remember correctly he got hurt in the first inning (first batter?) of the first exhibition game. And it went downhill from there. I figured he was a goner when he didn’t go into last night’s game as a defensive replacement.
I guess Rockies will play with an extra pitcher and one less position player for a few days until Giambi comes back. And of course he’s only a one (backup) position player.
All joking aside, I love that idea, Prog.
Didn’t we have a pitcher in ST that could option out on June 1st, but decided to stay? I can’t remember which pitcher it was – did we ever bring him up? is he around?
It was John Maine, and it never worked for him in the Springs. He left at the end of June with a 1-3 record and an ERA over 7.
Can’t say Edgar Gonzalez breeds much confidence with his numbers, but he does have big league experience. Probably only see him in a blowout of if the game goes 15 innings or something. Why not bring up Jim Miller? Is there a 40-man roster reason for not doing that?
Any chance of optioning Tracy to AAA instead?
Nice!
Yeah, Rockies option Jim Tracy to AAA Colorado Springs and acquire Clint Hurdle from Pirates for cash considerations and an executive to be named later.
Lotsa pitchers, not many position players. Maybe Tracy sees Esmil Rogers playing some infield between starts??
Just kidding…I hope.
Giambi will be rejoining the Rox in St. Louis Friday. So the roster moves were made with Giambi rejoining in mind as well as helping bullpen. Don’t think Josh Roenicke who is Rox pitcher of the month for August IMO will be available after going three nights in a row. Neither is Street with a minor injury.
The Millwood signing prompted me to try to recall the other former Braves pitchers who washed ashore with the Rox:
David Nied, drafted via expansion;
Marvin Freeman
Kent Mercker
Denny Neagle
Armando Reynoso
But then, we gave them Mike Hampton back.
Prog, not sure if you were being joking or not but…I think you are definitely right. Stewart should simply call it a season, get some home time and plan to play a full winterball season to get back on track. From that first inning injury to now things have been, well, unbelievable. This is not Stewart. This season is an aberation…he may not be Mike Schmidt but he is not this either. Give him a fresh start.
I am guessing if everyon is healthy then Giambi takes Gonzalez spot, especially after the nice outing by Millwood.
You sure about your promise Special Ed? It’s hard to see someone with so much potential struggle like he has this season.
Dr C that is a very wise observation. I agree Ian is just having one of those complete nightmare seasons. Shut him down or let him go back to CS or even Tulsa or Asheville or Modesto to get his head on straight.
I believe he is a good player, excellent fielder, but the league has figured him out + he is frustrated.
My best wishes to Ian. You’ll be back.
Meanwhile, Hamilton Ohio sure seems like a good spot for Jim Tracy.
It’s unlikely Ian will be traded since it is obvious he will not be offered arbitration by the Rox. Any team interested could simply make him a minimal deal contingent upon making the team as is often done with free agents where their prospects are dubious. Ian, though, is an interesting situation given his potential, occasional breakouts in 09 and 10 and relatively young age. I recall George Frasier once said that he has the potential to become “like Graig Nettles…quite an accolade, but potential alone does not do it, Ian is missing something whether it be “makeup, drive, desire etc…those attributes are difficult to capture if one does not feel it deep within. If it’s mainly technique, a club with a top batting coach might be the answer. It is obvious that his swing needs considerable changes if he has a chance to succeed. It’s possible as I look to what Kevin Long did for Curtis Granderson last August.
One thing is clear, however, Stewart’s time in Purple Pinstripes is over. I wish him well and am somewhat sad as I recall when he was signed out of OC in SC after breaking a number of high school records in that BB hotbed. I would not be surprised if his hometown Angels give him a shot next spring given their needs at third base.