Bud Black is drawing positives from the candidates vying for the final two spots in his starting rotation, even as they have been a little shaky down the stretch. Tuesday was no different as right-hander Antonio Senzatela suffered his fourth loss of the spring in a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Texas Rangers.
Senzatela surrendered nine hits and three runs, all earned, over five innings on Tuesday in what is likely to be his final audition before the major league roster is announced. The 22-year-old cruised through the first four innings, scattering five hits and a walk, before running into trouble in the fifth. Texas scratched out three runs off four hits in the inning to end Senzatela’s day, and probably his big league camp. Still, Black was happy with the prospect’s effort.
“I thought his overall stuff was quality,” Black said postgame. “You know – velocity, movement, spin to his breaking pitches. But again, I think that it was something that you can draw some positives from today.”
Despite posting an 0-4 record this spring, with three of those losses coming in four starts, Senzatela remains a candidate for Colorado’s final spot in the rotation. The Rangers roughed up lefty Kyle Freeland one day prior, leaving the door open for Senzatela and another left-hander, Harrison Musgrave.
German Marquez, the only pitcher with major league experience among the final four competing for the two rotation spots, appears to have solidified his position as the No. 4 starter with a pair of decent outings against Milwaukee and Chicago.
Marquez saw action in six MLB games last season (three starts). He posted a 5.23 ERA and 1.65 WHIP over 20.2 innings. He was 11-6 combined between Double-A and Triple-A in 2016 with a 3.13 ERA.
As for the No. 5 spot, Black has praised all three remaining candidates without tipping his hand too much. Musgrave is currently listed in that spot on the Rockies’ depth chart, but people close to the team think Freeland may have the inside track. Freeland is penciled in to start Colorado’s final preseason game on Saturday against the Mariners.
Freeland, 23, was the eighth overall selection in 2014 and has been on the fast track to the majors ever since. He’s 17-12 in his minor league career, going 6-3 with a 3.91 ERA in 12 starts at Triple-A in 2016. He is 2-2 in six appearances and four starts this spring, although he has logged just 20 total innings pitched.
In three minor league seasons, Musgrave, 25, has compiled a 28-17 overall record, although he was just 8-7 at Triple-A Albuquerque in 19 starts last year. He’s logged 16.1 innings this spring, going 1-0 with a 2.76 ERA in that time. His only win came in his only start in the Rockies’ big league camp, a 5-1 victory over the Giants.
Senzatela has been the busiest among those three, compiling a 4.97 ERA over 25.1 innings. He’s an impressive 41-19 in his minor league career, although 13 of those wins came in the Dominican Summer League and Short Season-A. In seven starts with Double-A Hartford last year, he went 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA.
Colorado opens the season on Monday, April 3 at Milwaukee.