ATLANTA -- After dealing with injuries for much of the season, Rockies left-handed relief pitcher Mike Dunn threw a simulated game Friday and is scheduled to begin a Minor League rehab assignment next week. The plan is to have the veteran Dunn back as a member of the bullpen in September.
Dunn is rehabbing left AC joint inflammation and last appeared in a game on July 3. He also had missed 17 games with a rhomboid (upper-back) strain in June. Before the first injury, Dunn had nine straight scoreless appearances from May 10-June 1, but was pitching through pain the whole time, and it eventually caught up with him. It turned out both ailments were related to an injury sustained during an offseason workout.
Now that the problems seem behind him, Dunn is looking to rejoin a team in a postseason race. To be effective, Dunn said he has to find his sharpness during his rehab outings for Triple-A Albuquerque.
"My command has got to be there," Dunn said. "Even if you don't have velocity, if you command the pitch, you're going to be fine. I'm looking to be able to get back in whatever the role, whatever the situation to help the team make a push down to the end. It could be eating up innings to give guys days off, it could be to get a big out in an inning.
"It's great watching these guys go out and fight every day. It's everything I knew. But it's a different perspective whenever you can't do anything. You're just trying to be there to help the guys out wherever and whenever you can. You miss being in the battle with them."
Oberg returns, Musgrave optioned
Righty Scott Oberg returned to the club Friday after missing three games to be with his wife, Diana Filipek, for the birth of the couple's first child -- a girl, Charlotte Rose Oberg, born healthy Monday -- 8 pounds, 3 ounces, and 21 3/4 inches.
To make room on the 25-man active roster, the Rockies optioned lefty reliever Harrison Musgrave (1-3, 5.08 ERA in 24 games) to Albuquerque. A starter before first being called up in April, Musgrave will go to Triple-A as a reliever.