Rockies activate closer Rafael Betancourt from DL

Jul 12, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Rafael Betancourt (63) in the ninth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Rockies won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

The struggling Colorado Rockies got some positive news on Saturday, and it came in the form of a return to action from their closer.

Colorado activated Rafael Betancourt from the 15-day disabled list prior to Saturday’s game with Baltimore, and the right-hander was able to throw a perfect inning in relief while generating 2 strikeouts in his return. Betancourt was placed on the DL with appendicitis on July 20th, but before exiting the active roster, he accumulated 15 saves.

In his stead, the Rockies have been utilizing Rex Brothers in the closer’s role, and frankly, he’s probably the better pitcher at this point in time. Brothers has the better ERA this season (1.61 to 3.16) and at 25 years old, the hard-throwing lefty is probably the “closer of the future” in Colorado.

In order to make room for Betancourt, the Rockies optioned Manual Corpas to the minors, but the biggest story line is what happens with the closer role going forward. The team has been anything but forthcoming regarding their plans, and while it may not matter in terms of wins and losses, the fantasy community will be greatly awaiting an announcement of some sort.

Installing Brothers into the role full-time seems to make the most sense from a future standpoint (Colorado isn’t a player in this year’s playoff picture), but Betancourt has provided value to the team for quite a while now, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him used in the role again.

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