Rockies scratch Anderson with oblique soreness

March 12th, 2016
Tyler Anderson has pitched four innings across two outings this spring, with three runs allowed and six strikeouts. (AP)

PHOENIX -- Rockies lefty pitching prospect Tyler Anderson was scratched from Saturday afternoon's scheduled start against the Brewers because of a sore right oblique. Righty Jon Gray, who already was scheduled to throw, took Anderson's place.
The Rockies announced the change just before first pitch.
"He felt it playing catch before he got on the mound," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "It's an injury you want to be careful with. We don't know the extent of it, so we weren't going to take any chances."
Anderson, the team's top Draft pick out of Oregon in 2011, had a 6.75 ERA in two Cactus League games. He missed last season because of a stress fracture in his left elbow suffered late in the 2014 season at Double-A Tulsa -- where he was 7-4 with a 1.98 ERA in 23 starts. But Anderson regained his health by the end of last season, and was able to throw in the Rockies' instructional program.
It would have been Anderson's first Spring Training start. Anderson was coming off a scoreless, two-inning, three-strikeout, one-hit performance against the Cubs on Monday.
He is ranked as the Rockies' No. 24 prospect by MLBPipeline.com.