Roy Oswalt suffered a setback in his quest to recover from a strained left hamstring. Troy Renck reports that the veteran right-hander had to quit a simulated game after two batters. Oswalt, who has been out since July 8, said “it’s going to take a couple more weeks”, effectively moving his earliest return date to mid-August. Oswalt posted a 7.64 ERA in 17 and two-thirds innings spread out over four starts.
The Rockies could use some rotation help if and when Oswalt returns. They own the National League’s fourth-worst aggregate starting pitching ERA at 4.47. Collin McHugh and Chad Bettis each started for the club recently, becoming the ninth and tenth pitchers to make a start in a Rockies uniform this season.
