Hoffman has an improved shot at garnering a spot in the Rockies rotation.
The top prospect was competing with a crowd for one of the final rotation spots, but now with Chris Rusin (oblique) and Chad Bettis (illness) on the shelf, Hoffman seems to be in line for the fourth spot in the rotation. The 24-year-old has yet to allow a run this spring and has struck out three batters between his two appearances. He struggled a bit upon his promotion to the big leagues last year and was even relegated to the bullpen for a brief period of time, but it seems like it's in the cards for Hoffman to move beyond that and become an integral part of Colorado's pitching staff.