Rockies' Francis Undergoing Surgery: Out for Season

Jeff Francis' return to the top of the Rockies' rotation ended before it even began.

The left-handed pitcher, who has been experiencing shoulder pain and missed the end of 2008 due to the injury, announced Thursday afternoon that he will undergo arthroscopic surgery and will miss 2009 in its entirety.

The Rockies’ ace propelled the club to its first playoff berth in 12 seasons and first National League pennant in 2007 with 17 wins, including two postseason victories. Relying heavily on him last year, Francis struggled from April through the end, going 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA.

The surgery, which will be performed in order to discover the exact nature of the injury, generally takes six to 12 months to recover. It is believed that he has a torn labrum flap in his shoulder but the operation will officially determine the injury.

An unfortunate event to begin 2009 indeed, but the problem I see with this situation is that Francis waited until after he reported to Spring Training to decide that he needed surgery.

His throwing shoulder has been bothering him since at least mid-2008, yet no decision was made to shut him down until Thursday.

I understand being optimistic that rest will help it heal, but the pain should have been responded to earlier in the offseason so that surgery could have taken place and Francis could recover throughout the season, and at least have a shot at jumping back into the rotation late down the stretch in case the Rockies are in a race for the NL West.

Instead Francis can do nothing but watch.

The news is disappointing for Rockies fans, but the club enters Spring Training with more starting pitching depth than ever before.

Keep in mind, though, that quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality.

Aaron Cook stepped up last season, winning 16 games and molding into the Rockies’ ace once Francis struggled early. The Rockies need him to show consistency, especially late in the season, and continue to improve on his 16 wins from 2008.

Ever since being drafted, scouts and the front office have told fans that Ubaldo Jimenez, a 25-year-old pitcher with velocity that competes with anyone in the league, has the potential to emerge into a No. 1 quality pitcher and could become the best prospect the team has ever landed. I’m not doubting Jimenez’ (12-12, 3.99 ERA in 2008) talent and abilities, but after two seasons of promise but inconsistency, now is the time for the young Latin American to step up and prove himself.

Expecting for the worst with Francis, the Rockies picked up veteran Jason Marquis in a trade with the Cubs over the offseason. In my view, this is a good move for the club. In 2008, Marquis was 11-9 with a 4.53 ERA. He has proved to pitch well at Coors Field in limited experience (3-0) and can eat up a lot of innings. I see him as a good fit in the middle of our rotation.

Jorge De La Rosa is expected to be the team’s fourth starter. Last year was the lefty’s first winning season where he posted 10-8 record with a 4.92 ERA in 23 starts. The pitcher is still emerging but competed well, filling a role in the rotation last season when injuries began to pile up.

The final spot of the rotation is wide open. Josh Fogg, Jason Hirsch, Franklin Morales, Greg Reynolds, Glendon Rusch, and Greg Smith will compete for the final spot. If Morales, like Jimenez, can live up to his potential, he will be a good mix in the rotation. If it seems like his control hasn’t improved, Hirsch, Fogg, or whoever it may be that wins the job in Spring Training will need to step up.

Even without Francis, the Rockies have arms that have the potential to fill his role. It’s just a matter of if the team will step up.

Only time will tell.