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Colorado Rockies prospect Eddie Butler pulled from Arizona league with back pain

By Ed Carroll

The Colorado Rockies pulled prospect Eddie Butler from the Arizona league because of back pain. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The Colorado Rockies pulled prospect Eddie Butler from the Arizona league because of back pain. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Colorado Rockies pulled prospect Eddie Butler from the Arizona league because of back pain.

The Colorado Rockies number two prospect, right-hander Eddie Butler, will sit out the Arizona Fall League due to fatigue and back pains, and will instead rehab and rest at the Colorado Rockies’ nearby training facility in Scottsdale, AZ.

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Butler, the Colorado Rockies’ top prospect after starting pitcher Jonathan Gray, has had an injury-plagued 2014, which saw him miss time due to rotator cuff soreness and then later upper back and shoulder pain. The Colorado Rockies had actually made the decision to pull Butler off the AFL roster a few days ago, but the decision wasn’t discovered until the rosters for the first games scheduled for today were published.

Butler was a supplemental first-round pick in 2012, and had an excellent 2013 season which saw his prospect status skyrocket. But mechanical issues affected Butler when he was healthy this season, and he struggled to find his delivery’s optimal arm slot. He cracked the Majors this season, starting three games for Colorado, pitching 16.1 innings at the big-league level.

Butler will pitch all of 2015 at the age of 24, and his rookie eligibility is still intact, so if the rest and rehab prove successful in helping Butler recapture his 2013 form, he’d still be eligible to win the NL Rookie of the Year award if he’s performing well. Right-hander Nelson Gonzalez will replace Butler on the AFL roster for the Colorado Rockies.

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