Rockies place RHP Rafael Betancourt on DL; DFA RHP Edgmer Escalona

DENVER - The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has placed right-handed pitcher Rafael Betancourt on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow sprain and designated right-handed pitcher Edgmer Escalona for assignment. To take those two spots on the active roster, Colorado has activated right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin from the bereavement list and recalled right-handed pitcher Rob Scahill from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Chacin (#45) and Scahill (#62) will be active for tonight's game at Miami (5:10 p.m. MDT).

Chacin, 25, is 11-7 with a 3.24 ERA (155.1 ip, 56 er), 42 walks and 95 strikeouts in 24 starts this season for the Rockies. Since June 11th, Chacin has gone 8-4 with a 2.23 ERA (88.2 ip, 22 er) in 13 starts for the Rockies. This is the right-hander's fifth season in the Majors, all with Colorado, and he has gone 34-38 with a 3.56 ERA (566.2ip, 224 er), 233 walks and 441 strikeouts in 106 games/91 starts. His 3.56 career ERA is the lowest in franchise history for a starting pitcher (minimum 50 starts). Chacin was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela on September 27, 2004.

Scahill, 26, is joining the Rockies active roster for the fourth time this season. In his time with Colorado, Scahill has made 13 appearances with a 4.26 ERA (19.0 ip, 9 er), including nine scoreless appearances. In 23 games for Triple-A Colorado Springs, he has gone 5-1 with a 4.50 ERA (46.0 ip, 23 er) and has not allowed a run in each of his last four appearances prior to being recalled (8.1 ip, 4 h, 0 bb, 8 k). The Illinois native has appeared in 19 career Major League games and has yet to receive a decision with a 3.25 ERA (27.2 ip, 10 er), 27 hits allowed, 6 walks and 12 strikeouts. Scahill was an eighth round selection of the Rockies in the 2009 June Draft out of Bradley University.

Betancourt, 38, has appeared in 32 games for the Rockies this season finishing 29 games and collecting 16 saves in 19 opportunities. This will be the third time this season he's been placed on the disabled list. Betancourt converted 10-straight save opportunities to begin the season going 1-1 with a 1.65 ERA (16.1 ip, 3 er) over his first 17 games. The Venezuelan native has appeared in 635 Major League games going 36-33 with 74 saves and a 33.1915 ERA (646.1 ip, 229 er).

Escalona, 26, has spent the entire season with Colorado pitching in 37 games. He's 1-4 with a 5.67 ERA (46.0 ip, 29 er) and has made appearances of 2.0 or more innings in 10 games. The right-hander out of Venezuela has spent his entire career with Colorado, appearing in 78 games going 1-5 with a 4.50 ERA (100.0 ip, 50 er), 96 hits, 32 walks and 71 strikeouts.

The Rockies currently have 39 on the 40-man roster.