Rockies select contract of Chad Bettis

DENVER - The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Chad Bettis from Double-A Tulsa. To create a spot on the active roster for Bettis, the Rockies have optioned left-handed pitcher Jeff Francis. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rockies have designated right-handed pitcher Josh Sullivan for assignment. Bettis (#35) is scheduled to start tonight's game against the Atlanta Braves (5:10 p.m. MDT) at Turner Field.

Bettis, 24, will make his Major League debut after spending the entire 2013 season with Double-A Tulsa. In 12 starts for Tulsa, he has gone 3-4 with a 3.71 ERA (63.0 ip, 26 er) with 13 walks and 68 strikeouts. His last start came on July 25 vs. Arkansas, where he threw seven scoreless innings and allowed just two hits with eight strikeouts. The Lubbock, Texas native was rated as the fourth overall prospect in the Rockies organization by MLB.com entering the 2013 season. He was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the eighth round of the 2007 June Amateur Draft from Monterey High School but did not sign and was later selected by the Colorado Rockies in the second round of the 2010 Draft.

Francis, 32, was a member of the Rockies Opening Day roster and has pitched in 12 games with 11 starts between two stints with Colorado this season. He was recalled on July 28 and made his second career relief appearance on July 30 in Atlanta (2.1 ip, 3 h, 2 r). A veteran of nine Major League seasons with Colorado (2004-2010, 2012-13) and Kansas City (2011), Francis has appeared in 217 career games with 215 starts and has gone 69-78 with a 4.93 ERA (1233.0 ip, 676 er), 366 walks and 816 strikeouts.

Sullivan, 29, has made four relief appearances for Triple-A Colorado Springs this year, allowing five runs on four hits in 3.1 innings. The Auburn University product has spent his entire professional career with the Rockies organization pitching in 133 games with 58 starts. He has gone 16-24 and 17 saves with a 4.33 ERA (363.1 ip, 175 er), 162 walks and 318 strikeouts. The right-hander was originally selected by Colorado in the fifth round of the 2005 Draft.

The Rockies currently have a full 40-man roster.