|
|
| Franklin Morales has been designated as the Rockies' fill-in closer while Huston Street is out with biceps tendinitis, according to the Denver Post. |
Our View: The fact that the Rockies felt compelled to actually name a new closer, and not say something vague to the effect of "we will go with the best matchups" could indicate that Street's injury is serious, though he insists it is not and says he could be ready to pitch this weekend. We shall see. In 30.2 innings this season, Morales has a 2.93 ERA.
|
|
|
|
| According to TSN, the Colorado Rockies have recalled pitcher Franklin Morales from Triple-A. He will replace reliever Randy Flores on the roster, as Flores was optioned in the corresponding move. |
Our View: Morales had been pitching well in the minors, and the Rockies felt it was time to give him another chance. He made two starts for the team earlier in the season, giving up three solo home runs in eight innings pitched.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales allowed five hits and one run in 6.1 innings with three strikeouts in his Triple-A start on Tuesday. |
Our View: This was a sound outing for Morales, who is trying to pitch his way back to the majors. Still, the Rockies would love to see him throw more strikes. Only 57 of his 97 pitches went for strikes in his outing.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales has been returned from his rehab assignment and was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: He has been recovering from a strained left shoulder, and skipper Jim Tracy believes he needs a little more time. He is expected to make a few more starts in the minors prior to returning to the Rockies.
|
|
|
|
| According to the Denver Post, Franklin Morales will throw another rehab start on Friday. |
Our View: Barring injury, Morales will toss eight innings of 85 pitches in his second rehab start. If all goes well he will throw 100 on June 11th and should be set to rejoin the Rockies after that. He has been out with a strained shoulder.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales is expected to begin his minor league rehab assignment as soon as Sunday, according to the Denver Post. He is recovering from a strained left shoulder. |
Our View: Morales will be on a limit of 75 pitches. Barring a setback, he could return to the Rockies' rotation at some point in June.
|
|
|
|
| The Denver Post reports that starter Franklin Morales threw 60 pitches in a simulated game on Tuesday and reported no problems. |
Our View: Morales has been out for three weeks with a strained muscle in his side and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Friday.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales, who is recovering from a strained left shoulder, threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday, according to InsideTheRockies.com. |
Our View: Morales could return to Colorado by the end of next weekend. He was 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over two starts prior to going down, and shall remain stashed in NL-only leagues.
|
|
|
|
| Insidetherockies.com reports that Franklin Morales threw from 60 feet on Wednesday and reported no problems with his strained lat muscle. |
Our View: The timeline for Morales' return is still undefined. He'll likely need a rehab start before returning to the rotation, so he may not be back for another two weeks. Through eight innings of work, he has nine strikeouts, but he has already allowed three home runs.
|
|
|
|
| Updating an earlier report, Franklin Morales has been placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left shoulder, according to the Associated Press. The Rockies purchased the contract of righthander Matt Daley from Triple-A Colorado Springs as the adjoining move. |
Our View: Morales will be on the shelf until at least early-May. He will be missed as he held a 1.00 WHIP over his first two starts, with nine strikeots. Jason Hammel will be a top candidate to replace him in the rotation.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales was forced to exit Tuesday's start against Arizona in the third inning with a strained left shoulder, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: The severity of the ailment is yet to be determined. He was off to a solid start this season with a 1.00 WHIP over eight innings of work, with nine strikeouts.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales is expected to be called back up by Colorado in time to start Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, according to the Denver Post. |
Our View: Morales was excellent in his first start of the year, which also happened to come against Arizona. He'll make for a fine spot-start on Tuesday and could get a few starts with the Rockies to prove that he belongs on the mound every fifth day.
|
|
|
|
| The Denver Post reports that shortly after shutting down the Diamondbacks and picking up his first win of the season, Franklin Morales learned that he was being optioned to Triple-A in order to open a spot for the newly acquired Jason Hammel. |
Our View: Morales struck out six over six innings while allowing only one run earlier in the day. He battled control issues all last season, but he looks much better in 2009. He should get another opportunity in the majors before too long.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales looked excellent as the Rockies defeated Arizona 9-2 on Wednesday. The starter struck out six in six innings while allowing just one run on four hits and a walk. |
Our View: Morales battled control issues throughout all of 2008, but showed this spring that those issues may be behind him. He has good strikeout potential, and if he can command his pitches throughout the entire season he should be a valuable fantasy option in 2009.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales will enter the season as the Rockies' fifth starter, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Morales struggled with his control throughout 2008, but he has only walked four hitters through 23 innings this spring. He has struck out 10 hitters. The potential remains, but he remains a risky pick in fantasy leagues.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales has a slight edge to win the fifth spot in the Rockies' rotation, according to the Denver Post. |
Our View: Greg Smith is believed to be his top competition at this point of spring training.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales allowed six hits, one walk, and two earned runs in five innings as the Rockies fell to the Dodgers 3-2 on Thursday. He struck out just one batter and also allowed a home run to Clayton Kershaw. |
Our View: Morales is trying to lock down a spot in the Rockies' rotation. He has done himself a favor by walking just four guys in 18 innings this spring. In his five major league starts last year, he had 17 walks in 25.1 innings. Control tends to be his biggest issue, and so far he looks as if he may have solved that. The result should be a job in the Rockies opening day rotation.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales was stellar against San Francisco on Saturday, shutting out the Giants while giving up just three hits and striking out three in four innings. |
Our View: Meanwhile, Jason Hirsh, another contender for one of the final spots in Colorado's rotation, got absolutely rocked in 3.2 innings of relief. While Morales is just 23 and has tremendous upside down the road, remember that he was coming off an awful outing against the Angels and is still on the outside looking in in the battle to be part of Colorado's initial starting rotation.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales gave up nine hits and seven runs (five earned) over three innings as the Rockies fell to the Angels 12-3 on Monday. He gave up three home runs, struck out two, and walked one batter in the shalacking. |
Our View: Morales was a huge disappointment last season and he only made five major league starts. In those outings, he posted a 6.39 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP. He continued his inconsistent ways at Triple-A. The 23-year-old has a good arm, but he is not a lock to make the opening day rotation.
|
|
|
|
| The Rockies have been encouraged by the changes Franklin Morales made to his pitching delivery, according to the Denver Post. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca said, "I am extremely encouraged. That is important for us, because his talent is untapped. I am looking more at how he is making his pitches more than what kind of stuff he has early in camp. He has really refined his delivery. No more falling off to the side, no more recoiling. Everything now is finishing through the catcher."
|
Our View: Morales may be a year or two away from making an impact in fantasy leagues, but he is still worth targeting as a late-round flier just in case.
|
|
|
|
| Left-hander Franklin Morales dealt with back issues while struggling through 2008, according to the AP. The pain in his back reportedly lasted from the end of spring training all the way to September. |
Our View: The fireballer was sent to the minors last April and never returned to the Rockies. He didn't perform much better in the minors with 82 walks and 83 strikeouts in 110.1 innings. Keep an eye on him this spring as he will likely be given a shot to sin a spot in the rotation.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales has been shut down by the Rockies after making nine starts in winter-ball in Venezuela, according to the Rocky Mountain News. |
Our View: He isn't injured and the club just wants him to be well-rested for spring training. He held a 3.11 ERA over 46.1 innings, with only 12 walks during his winter-ball stint.
|
|
|
|
| Rockies hurler Franklin Morales has only given up one run in his last three games in the Venezuelan winter league, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The left-handed Morales had a rough 2008 in the bigs, starting just eight games and collecting a 6.39 ERA with 1.78 WHIP before being shipped to Triple-A. He needs to get better command, but is certainly a young talent with loads of promise who fantasy owners should keep an eye on.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales contributed five innings in a combined no-hitter with three Triple-A Colorado Springs relievers on Sunday. |
Our View: The no-hitter is made slightly less impressive by the fact that Morales walked six batters in those five innings, which resulted in an earned run. Morales was demoted by the Rockies to get some seasoning with his control, and we can hardly characterize this start as progress.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales has been sent down to Triple-A, according to the Denver Post. Infielder Omar Quintanilla has been called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs. |
Our View: Morales was 1-2 as a starter with a 1.78 WHIP, but is the Rockies' top pitching prospect and just needs more time in the minors before he can make an impact. The team is yet to name his replacement in the rotation.
|
|
|
|
| The Rockies will option struggling Franklin Morales to Triple-A Colorado Springs, according to MLB.com. The 22-year-old holds a 6.39 ERA after five starts, showing that he needs more seasoning in the minors. "He needs to go back to dominating the strike zone with his fastball," pitching coach Bob Apodaca said on MLB.com. "Let alone strikes, he has to learn what it takes to make quality strikes with his fastball." |
Our View: Morales still has a bright future, he just needs more work in the minors. After all, he's made only three Triple-A starts. The Rockies have yet to announce who will replace Morales in the rotation.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales allowed eight hits and a walk which resulted in three runs in six innings against the Cubs in a no-decision. |
Our View: This was a better outing than what we have seen in his last two appearances (11 ER in nine IP), but Morales still has a way to go before he can be thrust into most fantasy lineups without giving it a second thought.
|
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales had a brutal outing on Saturday as he was hit around the yard to the tune of seven hits and seven runs in just four innings. |
Our View: This was a huge step back for Morales who looked great in his first start. After an uneven spring, it remains to be seen how Morales will fair in a starting role this season.
|
|
|
|
| Rookie Franklin Morales will be looking for his first win today as he challenges the Diamondbacks, according to MLB.com. He was solid in his first outing(was dealt a no decision), as he only allowed two hits over six innings, with no walks and two strikeouts. He faced Arizona in that game as well. |
Our View: His fantasy stock will continue to rise with a solid outing today.
|
|
|
|
| Colorado rookie Franklin Morales held the Diamondbacks to two hits over six innings in his first start of the 2008 season. The left-hander struggled this spring (6.65 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP in 21.2 innings) but showed his potential with a strong showing on Sunday night. |
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales has earned the No. 5 spot in the Colorado rotation, this according to the team website. The left-hander struggled this spring (6.65 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP in 21 2/3 innings), but he's one of the best pitching prospects in baseball and is worth a flyer in all leagues despite the fact he just turned 22 in January. |
|
|
|
| With the rotation in Colorado still unsettled and the need for worthy arms prevailing as a top concern, Franklin Morales impressed early and disappointed in a major way late in the Rockies' 2-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox in Cactus League action today. Morales pitched through four strong innings, allowing just two hits. However, in the fifth, Morales fell apart, giving up four runs before getting roped in by manager Clint Hurdle. While the result is disturbing, Hurdle remained positive in reviewing Morales' day. “Downhill playing, pitching with intent, better focus, sharper breaking ball,” said Hurdle. “Four innings, you couldn’t ask anymore improvement from what we’ve seen. The fifth inning got a little bit away from him.” Still, Morales has allowed 14 combined earned runs in his last three outings. |
|
|
|
| Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said that despite a poor outing Friday, Franklin Morales still has a chance to leave spring training with a rotation spot, according to the Denver Post. "Does he still have time to get back on track to pitch in the season? Sure he does," said Hurdle. "All he's got to do is have one good outing next time and your story will be different." He gave up nine runs (five earned) on 10 hits, including two homers. He also walked two and was also called for a balk, so clearly he needs to get more focused if he's going to turn things around. |
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales got the start for the Rockies today and gave little indication that a position on the major league roster on opening day was eminent, giving up nine runs on 10 hits (though only five of those runs were earned) through 2 2/3 innings, walking two and collecting two strikeouts with a wild pitch and a balk. To be fair, Morales has looked much better in his spring starts in recent weeks. The hope was to see Morales battle and earn a spot in the bullpen. At this point, it is difficult to determine what may happen over the next two weeks. |
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales was awarded a start over the injured Jason Hirsch and he effectively seized the opportunity as he only allowed one run and three hits over four innings, with three strikeouts. He has an ERA of 2.00 over nine innings and should solidify a spot in the Rockies bullpen at the start of the season. |
|
|
|
| Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca confirmed that top prospect Franklin Morales could start the season in the bullpen, noting that "there's a long history of teams doing this with (top prospects), especially the Dodgers," according to the Denver Post. The Rockies are trying to protect their prodigal left-hander from injury but keeping him from throwing too many innings, but we'll have to see how spring training shakes out before we get a read on where Morales will end up. Triple-A remains a possibility, as well. |
|
|
|
| Franklin Morales is the Rockies' great exception, reports the Denver Post.
At 22, logic screams that he should spend part of this season in Triple-A, refining his mechanics, majoring in humility, but like unlike other scrutinized prospects, Morales defied experts last season by succeeding in the big leagues after struggling to win games in Double-A. Morales needs only to capture a sliver of command and understand he doesn't have to throw every pitch 100 MPH to be effective at the top level. When the Rockies report to Tucson this week Morales will begin his fight for the final spot in the rotation. His competition will be Kip Wells, Mark Redman and Josh Towers. A productive spring for the young Morales would allow Colorado to realistically compete for another trip to the Fall Classic. |
|
|
|
| As expected, the Rockies will recall Franklin Morales from Triple-A Colorado Springs to start Saturday's game in place of the injured Jason Hirsh. "It's an opportunity to give him some experience he can't get anywhere else," manager Clint Hurdle told the Rocky Mountain News. "We can put five guys in the rotation for a couple of times and get some stability back in the rotation." In 20 starts this season between Double- and Triple-A Morales has a 3.51 ERA. He's also one of the Rockies' top pitching prospects, so he could have some value if he steps up right away. |
|
|
|
| The Rockies have yet to announce who will start on Saturday, but all signs are pointing to Franklin Morales getting the nod, according to the Rocky Mountain News. Morales holds a 3.51 ERA in 20 combined starts between Double- and Triple-A this year. He boasts a solid 7.3 K/9 rate, but his 4.6 BB/9 rate could definitely use some work. If the Rockies opt to go in a different direction, Taylor Buchholz and Ramon Ortiz are also possibilities. |
|
