CINCINNATI -- With off-days ahead on Thursday and the following Monday, the Rockies are going to stick with the four-man rotation of Peter Lambert, Jon Gray, Kyle Freeland, and German Márquez.

“I think for us here in the short term, these are our best four pitchers,” Rockies manager Bud Black said before Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. “We decided where these guys are at physically, they can pitch on four days of rest and make their start on the fifth day, so we can use four guys.”

Looking ahead, however, Black identified three pitchers who could make a case for the fifth spot, including right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez, who was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to make the spot start against the Reds on Saturday. Gonzalez threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on two Reds’ homers. Overall, he allowed five hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.

“With the doubleheader we had to play in Washington [on Wednesday], we were averse to pitching somebody on short rest, so that’s why Chi Chi’s here to take this spot,” Black said.

To open a spot on the roster for Gonzalez, right-hander Jeff Hoffman was optioned to Triple-A. Hoffman, along with Rodriguez and right-hander Antonio Senzatela who is currently at Triple-A, are in the mix to join the Rockies’ rotation at some point.

For Hoffman to rejoin the Rockies, he’ll need to be more efficient than he’s been in recent starts, including Wednesday’s outing against the Nationals when he needed 95 pitches to get through five innings. This season, Hoffman has needed 96 pitches to get through six innings against the Cubs and 93 to get through five against the Orioles.

Overall, Hoffman is 1-3 with a 6.57 ERA in eight starts with 28 earned runs allowed in 38 1/3 innings.

“I told him when we talked [on Saturday], there’s no doubt his stuff plays in the big leagues,” Black said. “He’s got a good arm. The velocity plays. He’s got a good legit curveball. For him, it’s just the consistency of putting pitches together at-bat to at-bat. He’ll go through a couple at-bats and we’ll go, ‘That’s what we’re talking about,’ then there might be a four-pitch walk, a ball in the gap, then a big inning results.”

Senzatela who is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in three starts at Albuquerque, is 8-7 with a 6.29 ERA in 18 starts for the Rockies.

Coming into Saturday’s start, Gonzalez was 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA in three starts this season for Colorado. He is 4-5 with a 6.10 ERA in 16 appearances including 15 starts at Triple-A.

“Starters are gold,” said Black. “We need them. We need all these guys to be pitching well [so] if we do have to go get one, we feel good about them.”

Lambert is scheduled to start the series finale against the Reds on Sunday. Gray who left his last start with a calf injury, is on track to start Monday’s series opener against the Dodgers at Coors Field. He’ll be followed by Freeland and then Marquez.

The Rockies’ team ERA of 5.50 ranks last in the National League. Colorado’s starting rotation has a 5.75 ERA which ranks last in baseball, and contributed greatly to the club’s 9-21 stretch beginning June 21.

“We’re closely monitoring all our pitchers,” Black said. “Pitching’s been a little bit down, which is why we haven’t won a lot of games in the past 20-25 days.”