Ian Desmond returns to DL, Rockies sporting 10-man bullpen

The Colorado Rockies have posted their lineup for Friday night’s game against the Washington Nationals and with that comes the news that outfielder/first baseman Ian Desmond has returned to the 10-day Disabled List with the strain in his right calf.

Oddly, Colorado hasn’t made a corresponding roster move (to this point) opting instead to list 10 relievers. It was thought that either Antonio Senzatela would be optioned to Triple-A or Jordan Lyles might be designated for assignment but both remain on the roster after the trade for Pat Neshek, who technically takes Desmond’s spot on the roster.

The Rockies are sporting a three-man bench of Pat Valaika, Alexi Amarista, and backup catcher Ryan Hanigan. It is unclear as of publication how long the club intends to play with such an unbalanced roster.

This problem will get even… well, weirder when closer Greg Holland returns to the team from paternity leave sometime in this Nationals series. They couldn’t possibly carry 11 relievers, right?

Something will need to be done soon, maybe including Tyler Chatwood back to the rotation, but the clock is ticking for some of the Rockies pitchers because the current situation is unsustainable.