Colorado Rockies to Go With Four-Man Starting Rotation, Move Jeremy Guthrie to Bullpen

by Matthew Fairburn on Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 8:34PM

Colorado's baseball team is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The Rockies are in fourth place in the National League West with a 25-40 record. While Colorado has been one of the ten best hitting teams in baseball throughout the early part of the season, the team has struggled to muster consistent pitching, especially from the starting rotation. The Rockies have a league-worst 5.35 team ERA.

The starters have struggled so much that manager Jim Tracy has elected to go with a four-man rotation, sending Jeremy Guthrie to the bullpen, according to The Denver Post.

Guthrie has been the subject of trade rumors recently, so some believe the Rockies are showcasing him in a bullpen role to increase his value. While sticking with the four-man rotation, Tracy will have his starters on a 75-pitch limit.

The inability to piece together a five-man rotation is a new low for the worst pitching team in the Major Leagues.