DENVER -- The Rockies optioned struggling left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson to Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday in hopes of helping him find his missing consistency, and possibly sprinkle in some diversity.

According to Elias, Anderson (0-3, 11.76 ERA) is the first pitcher since ERA became a statistic in 1913 to begin a season with five starts in which he gave up five or more earned runs while pitching five or fewer innings.

It’s the first time since Anderson broke in during the 2016 season that he has been sent down because of performance. Anderson pitched through left knee inflammation late in Spring Training and during his first two starts. Then he spent time on the injured list, but when he came back, Anderson didn’t pitch any better.

“It’s nothing he needs to work on mechanically, nothing he needs to work on mentally. It’s just the consistency, pitch-to-pitch,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Let’s make some pitches, truly string some pitches together, put zeros on the board and gain some momentum through his pitching.”

When right, Anderson can spot his four-seam fastball on the edges and disrupt hitters’ timing with the changeup. But this year, there have been too many pitches not located well enough to be effective, and too many others that were balls out of his hand.

After giving up six runs and seven hits in four innings plus two batters in the fifth in Friday night’s 10-9 loss to the D-backs, Anderson alluded to D-backs hitters simply operating as if they knew what was coming.

There may be something in Anderson’s pitch selection, which is heavy on the four-seam fastball (45.5 percent this season) and changeup (25.9). Additionally, he throws a cut fastball (20.3), curveball (6.4) and sinker (1.9). According to Statcast, it’s a similar mix to what he used in 2017, when he struggled early, but excelled after missing time with arthroscopic knee surgery.

Last season, another up-and-down year, Anderson lowered his four-seam (39.6) and changeup frequency (22.9) and added more cutters (28.7) and sinkers (5.0). Could reverting to past pitch patterns be the reason hitters seem ready?

“His best stuff is still fastball-change, but I see Tyler as a four-pitch pitcher,” Black said. “I think he can incorporate his curveball more. He brought it in the fifth inning a couple times [on Friday]. There has to be a mix of all four of his pitches and not heavily reliant on the fastball-change.

“Can a pitcher get through a change throwing fastball-change? Absolutely. But in those games where maybe they’re taking good swings at those two, he may need to bring some other things into play. There’s a certain percentage of curveballs he can throw during a game, a certain percentage of cutters, but his stuff is still his fastball-change combination.”

The Rockies haven’t added a starter to fill Anderson’s rotation spot. The most logical candidate is righty Jeff Hoffman, who has made one Major League start this year (six hits, four runs in five innings against the Nationals on April 23). Hoffman is set to pitch for Albuquerque on Saturday night at Tacoma.

If Hoffman is the choice, the Rockies could start him next Friday against the Padres, and give the current rotation an extra day’s rest. If the Rockies do not build in the extra day for their current starters, the next time they’ll need a starter would be Saturday against the Padres.

The Rockies recalled righty reliever Yency Almonte from Albuquerque for Anderson’s roster spot.

Additionally, the club placed lefty reliever Harrison Musgrave on the 10-day injured list with a left elbow flexor strain and recalled D.J. Johnson, who was sent down Monday when lefty starter Kyle Freeland returned from the IL. Musgrave suffered the injury while throwing a scoreless ninth inning (one hit, one walk) Friday night. An MRI is planned once swelling subsides.