When Dinelson Lamet next takes the mound for the Colorado Rockies, fans will likely notice two things different about him. First, his hair will be shorter (thanks to a cut received during his recent stint on the injured list) and, second, he will be plugged into his new role as a starter rather than coming out of the bullpen.
According to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, the 30-year-old Lamet will be activated from the injured list in time to start Wednesday’s game in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. It will mark the first start for Lamet in a Rockies uniform and his first start since June 26, 2021, when he was with the San Diego Padres.
Sent to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the Josh Hader trade and then designated for assignment by Milwaukee, the Rockies picked Lamet up on waivers and inserted him into the bullpen. He’s made 31 appearances over the course of the last two seasons for Colorado, but the numbers haven’t been what was hoped, with a 7.04 ERA/1.630 WHIP. However, there is hope as his FIP during that time is 4.57, indicating he’s been the victim of some bad luck on the mound.
The Rockies are taking that chance, and are in need of some good luck themselves when it comes to the rotation. Thanks to injuries and ineffectiveness, Lamet is expected to become the 11th Colorado pitcher to make a start this season through the team’s first 56 games (on Wednesday).
Lamet has flashed that he can be a solid starter, posting a 2.09 ERA in 12 starts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and finishing fourth in the National League Cy Young voting that season. He’s also shown that he can induce grounders, something critical at Coors Field. Before the lower back stiffness that placed him on the injured list on May 4, Lamet’s ground ball percentage sat at 46.9 for the season.
As a starter, Lamet has been statistically more effective (3.78 ERA/1.173 WHIP in 258.2 innings) than out of the bullpen (6.97 ERA/1.698 WHIP in 60.2 innings). The Rockies are hoping that trend continues as they look for various ways to plug the holes in the rotation.