The Colorado Rockies announced on Wednesday that staff ace Ubaldo Jimenez has been placed on the 15-Day disabled list due to a right thumb cuticle cut. This move is retroactive to April 2, when the injury was first revealed.
Jimenez started Opening Day for the Rockies on April 1, but did not look like the pitcher who finished third in the 2010 NL Cy Young voting. His fastball barely reached the mid- to upper-90s that fans expect, sitting in the low-90s and at points not even escaping the high-80s. A day later it was reported that Jimenez had a cut in his right thumb, which was where he had an injury at the start of spring training.
Greg Reynolds, the No. 2 overall pick in 2006, will be recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs and take Jimenez's spot in the rotation. As a result, Jorge De La Rosa will now pitch in Friday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, while Reynolds will start on Saturday.
Reynolds previously appeared in the majors in 2008, well before he was major league ready. He made 14 appearances (13 starts), going 2-8 with an 8.13 ERA. He allowed 14 home runs in 62 innings pitched. He made one minor league start in 2009 before going down with a shoulder injury. He recovered from that, but then needed to have bone chips removed from his elbow after a ball struck him there. He made several starts at the end of the 2010 season to put him in position to make the majors in 2011.