Rockies add Chacin and Betancourt to roster

Rafael Betancourt returned to Cleveland long enough to stuff some clothes into a suitcase, then caught a flight to join his new team.

The reliever didn't want to waste any time getting to the Mile High City. Not with Colorado opening a three-game series Friday night with the San Francisco Giants, a team one game behind the Rockies in the NL wild-card race.

Betancourt arrived in the clubhouse a few hours before the game, greeting his new teammates and putting on his new uniform after being added to the roster Friday.

It's been a whirlwind 24 hours for Betancourt, who was playing in Toronto when the Rockies acquired him from the Indians for minor league pitcher Connor Graham.

He flew home, grabbed some garb, said his goodbyes and took off.

"Feels weird to (pack) in the season," said Betancourt, who had a 3.52 ERA in 29 games with Cleveland this season. "But it's pretty special that a team wants me right now, especially the way they're playing."

The Rockies were in need of another arm in the bullpen, especially with set-up man Manny Corpas going on the 15-day disabled list Friday. The righty underwent successful surgery earlier in the day to remove a bone chip in his right elbow.

Colorado purchased the contract of right-hander Jhoulys Chacin from Double-A Tulsa on Friday, and designated reliever Ryan Speier for assignment.

Just like that, the bullpen has a new look.

Chacin will fill a long-relief role for the Rockies, while Betancourt serves as closer Huston Street's set-up man.

That's just fine with Betancourt.

"Any way I can help, that's what I want to do," he said. "I'll be ready for any situation."

The promotion caught Chacin completely off guard. He had just finished a scoreless first inning Wednesday when Tulsa manager Ron Gideon pulled him out of the game.

"I was like, 'What?'" Chacin said.

Gideon told him to head inside to the clubhouse.

There, waiting for him was Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett, who told Chacin he was being called up.

"I was like, 'Wow,'" said the 21-year-old Chacin, who made 18 starts with Tulsa this season, striking out 86 in 103 1-3 innings. "I'm really excited."

The Rockies felt he was ready to make the leap. It certainly worked out for speedy outfielder Dexter Fowler when he made a similar jump at the start of the season.

"With Jhoulys, he's one of the brighter prospects in our organization and he's been pitching extremely well of late," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "I'll be looking for opportunities to utilize him."

Tracy didn't know how long Corpas would be sidelined, only that the Rockies were going to take a cautious approach.

"We're going to give it a couple of weeks to quiet down," Tracy said of Corpas' elbow. "We'll see where he is at that time and we'll reevaluate at that time and move forward from there."