Farm Report April 15: Hoffman Working His Way Back

Jeff Hoffman's spring training was limited to two appearances. A shoulder issue flared up and he was shut down. He has been given a clean bill of health, and has begun a minor-league rehab assignment but the rust from a lack of activity in the past six weeks is apparent.

Hoffman made his second start on a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings of Triple-A Albuquerque's 9-4 loss to Salt Lake on Saturday. He threw 62 pitches, only 33 of which were strikes.

Four days earlier, Hoffman made his rehab debut at High-A Lancaster, allowing two earned runs and five hits in three innings.

Hoffman figures to get at least five more starts on his rehab assignment. The key, though, is Hoffman still has an option so if the Rockies don't feel he is ready to step into their rotation he can be assigned to Albuquerque.

In Saturday's Games:

Triple-A Albuquerque (5-5) lost 9-4 against Salt Lake City. Noel Cuevas was 2-for-4 with his third triple, raising his average to .300. Jordan Patterson hit a home run for the second game in a row.

Double-A Hartford (2-7) lost 5-2 at New Hampshire. Yonathan Daza and Dom Nunez had RBI singles. Peter Lambert (1-1) allowed three runs in three innings. 

High-A Lancaster (5-5) lost 9-1 at Lake Elsinore. Vince Fernandez extended his hitting streak to nine games, raising his average to .382. Roberto Ramos provided the JetHawks only run with his fourth home run of the season in the ninth inning. Logan Longwith (0-2) allowed six runs, five earned, on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings and was ejected in the top of the fifth for coming up and in with a pitch to Eguy Rosario. Rosario created a stir in the third inning with a hard slide into second base.

A Asheville (2-8) lost 7-6 to Columbia, seeing leads of 4-3 in the eighth and 5-4 in the ninth evaporate. Two of Columbia's three runs in the ninth were unearned. Will Gaddis started and allowed three runs on six hits and two walks, striking out three in five innings.