The Rockies optioned Blalock to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday.

With Austin Gomber (shoulder) on the shelf to begin the season, Blalock had headed into Opening Day as the Rockies' presumptive No. 5 starter. However, off days early on in the team's schedule allowed the Rockies to get by with a four-man rotation for the first week and a half of the season, and Blalock ended up making a pair of relief appearances over the team's first eight games. The Rockies will break in a No. 5 starter for Sunday's game against the Athletics, but it won't be Blalock who fills the opening. Instead, he'll head to Triple-A to clear room on the active roster for prized pitching prospect Chase Dollander, who will draw the start Sunday. Blalock will likely continue to get stretched out as a starter at Albuquerque after covering two innings Saturday in his most recent relief appearance.