Colorado Rockies Forced To Start Reliever Vs. Reds After Minor Leaguer's Travel Issues Kept Him From Getting To Cincinnati

Published|Updated

The Colorado Rockies are trying to avoid a three-game sweep in Cincinnati against the red-hot Reds on Wednesday. To do that, they turn to reliever Jake Bird for his first Major League start.

Bird has made 73 appearances over the past two seasons for the Rockies. All of them have come out of the bullpen.

But thanks to some travel issues for Rockies Triple-A pitcher Karl Kauffmann, Bird has to start the final game of the series, an afternoon tilt at Great American Ballpark.

Pitcher Jake Bird of the Colorado Rockies got the start against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday after minor leaguer Karl Kauffman couldn't get to the ballpark in time.

Pitcher Jake Bird of the Colorado Rockies got the start against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday after minor leaguer Karl Kauffman couldn't get to the ballpark in time. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The team called up Kauffman from their Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes, to start on Wednesday. But he couldn't get to Cincinnati in time, according to the Denver Post.

Kauffman wasn't even the team's first option to start Wednesday's game, either.

Karl Kauffman COULD still pitch Wednesday for the Colorado Rockies against the Reds

According to the Cincinnati Reds broadcast team on Bally Sports Ohio, Kauffman landed in Cincinnati around 11 am local time. With a 12:35 first pitch, Kauffman might still throw some innings in the game.

That would be something. If Kauffman shows up to the park after the game starts, tosses on his uniform, gets loose, enters the game, and pitches well? That's the stuff of legends.

Bird isn't expected to pitch more than one or two innings as the Rockies prepare to use a "bullpen day" to get through the game against the Reds.

That is, of course, unless Kauffman shows up and manages to eat up some innings.

UPDATE: Kauffman DID manage to get to the ballpark in time to enter the game. After Bird threw two scoreless innings, Kauffman entered to start the third.

He managed to also put up two scoreless innings before running into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. He hit the Cincinnati leadoff batter, gave up a single and then a walk to load the bases with no outs.

The Rockies pulled him from the game and reliever Matt Carasiti allowed all three Reds runners to score, tying the game at 3-3.

The Reds are seeking their 11th-straight victory, while the Rockies are trying to end a seven-game winning streak.

Tags
Written by
Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.