Just days after Colorado Rockies RHP Felipe Paulino was deemed the favorite for the fifth rotation spot vacated because of Aaron Cook's injured shoulder, there is a new favorite for the position.
According to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies coaching staff has informed Paulino that he will be heading to the bullpen for the remainder of training camp, and will be pitching one inning at a time. It appears the staff wasn't impressed by Paulino's audition earlier this week, when he struggled on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks in just three innings of work.
Paulino struggled as a member of the Houston Astros bullpen in 2010, posting a 15.88 ERA in just 5.2 innings last season, though he did display an elite strikeout rate of 11.1 K/9 as a reliever.
This move opens the door for RHP prospect Esmil Rogers, who spent time on the major league roster as the long man in the Rockies' 2010 bullpen, and even started several games due to injury, though with mixed results. Rogers gets the start in today's spring training game as his first audition as the favorite for the starting role.