Ubaldo Jimenez still uncertain for Friday start

Ubaldo Jimenez didn’t look anything like his usual dominant self on Opening Day against the Diamondbacks last Friday, giving up six runs -- five earned -- over six innings while striking out just one and sitting between 89-91 mph on the radar gun.

It turns out Jimenez aggravated a cuticle of his right thumb, a condition that caused him to miss a start during the early part of the Cactus League schedule.

While his thumb has improved with treatment, Rockies manager Jim Tracy told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post today the right-hander is no sure thing to make his next scheduled start Friday against the Pirates.

“We’re still monitoring the situation,” said Tracy this afternoon. “His finger looks much, much better, there’s no question about it. And yet we don’t want to push it to the point where we take major steps backwards just by trying to play catch.”

The Rockies could either push Jimenez back to Saturday or skip him altogether. Jorge De La Rosa would likely take his turn in the rotation.