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Colorado Rockies closer John Axford has been removed from his role, according to The Denver Post.
Axford, 32, has blown three straight, and four out of his last five, save opportunities. Two of those three opportunities actually resulted in a win, while the other two were for losses. The right-hander also suffered the loss in a game against the Angels earlier in the season.
"I had a conversation with John a little earlier and I told him I was going to get him out of that ninth inning for a little bit and let him catch his breath," Rockies Manager Walt Weiss told The Denver Post.
Because of his recent struggles, Axford is now 3-5 with a 4.45 ERA after a great start of the 2015 season. He has 16 saves on the year.
"I'm not so bullheaded as to say that I want to pitch in the ninth inning and that's how it has to be," Axford told The Denver Post. "I have pitched in other innings and I've had success in other innings. A lot of my success has come in the ninth, but that's also where some of the pain comes. Stepping away definitely could be beneficial. It's worked before for me. It worked in 2012."
Rafael Betancourt and Tommy Kahnle will likely fill the role for the time being.
You can see our full MLB closers & saves depth charts updated here, and find waiver wire pickups/stashes after the trade deadline.
