Rockies RHP Gray to make MLB debut

The Colorado Rockies will promote starting pitching prospect Jon Gray to the major league roster. The hard-throwing right-hander was 6-6 with a 4.33 ERA in 21 games – 20 starts – for Triple-A Albuquerque this season.

Fans have been waiting for Gray’s debut all season, but the Rockies were waiting until Gray reduced his pitch counts and improved the command of his fastball, slider and changeup.

In his last ten starts, Gray is 3-1, 3.48 with 54 hits and 23 walks allowed in 54.1 innings, while striking out 69 hitters. Uh… sure. Whatever he does, one start will not make or break his career (we’ll talk about that in another post after the game!!), but he’s at least developed himself to the point where he’s now officially in the big league conversation – a conversation that, regardless of where he goes, he will likely find himself a part of for years to come.

All these things combined, plus his stuff, plus his pedgree as a first round draft pick out of a major college, and it had to be time for Gray in Denver.

Gray’s professional career got off to a 4-0 start with a combined nine starts for the Grand Junction Rockies of the rookie-level Pioneer League and the Single-A Advanced Modesto Nuts of the California League in 2013.

Butler stumbled through another rough start, allowing seven runs in four innings as the Seattle Mariners beat the Rockies 8-7 on Monday night.

Felix Hernandez pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Nelson Cruz homered in a fourth consecutive game to reach 30 for the season for the Mariners, who held on in the ninth for the win.

“He wasn’t going to be up here until everybody felt that he was ready”, Weiss said.

“I think he’s grown up a lot in the previous year”. He becomes the 67th OU baseball alum to debut in the majors and the first since Jackson Williams a season ago.

Gray said he wasn’t expecting the promotion especially on the Rockies’ current three-game homestand.

“Having him with the game on the line, I’ll take that every time”, Weiss said.

Nuno, though, allowed four runs in 13 1-3 innings over two starts against Colorado last year, losing his only decision. Seattle touched him for two runs during a 33-pitch first inning.

Still, the Rockies weren’t ready to bring him up before Tuesday.