ATLANTA -- Wednesday night's disappointment officially closed the book on the Rockies' hopes that veteran pitcher Livan Hernandez would be a difference-maker.
But when a team figuratively raises the white flag and concedes that it won't have a miracle run to the playoffs, it needs to feel good about its future. That's where Greg Reynolds comes in.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said Thursday that Reynolds, the club's top pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, will start Monday at home against the Padres in place of Hernandez. In Wednesday's 9-5 loss to the Braves, Hernandez went 4 1/3 innings and gave up four runs and eight hits in a no-decision.
Reynolds, who was 2-6 in 11 starts when the Rockies were beset by inconsistency in the rotation early in the season, struck out two of the three batters he faced while pitching in relief Wednesday, in his first Major League outing since July 4.
The Rockies returned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs to work on his delivery, and he accomplished that before returning to the club Friday.
"It was good to see him back on the mound," Hurdle said. "His downhill plane was pretty good. His four-seam fastball might have been better than his two-seamer last night. We've had nothing but good reports on how hard he's worked. Everybody feels like he's back in a better place."
Thanks to Larry DeMartini for forwarding this piece of good news from the sports page. Good luck to the rook! Pacifica homeboy Reynolds is back on the mound for the Rockies.
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