An overtaxed bullpen forced the Rockies into a slew of moves Wednesday, as they optioned first-baseman Wilin Rosario to Triple-A Albuquerque to make room for relief pitcher John Axford.

Right-hander Scott Oberg was also recalled to the Rockies, while LaTroy Hawkins was placed on the disabled list with a biceps injury.

Rosario will play every day for the Isotopes at first base. The Rockies sent him down to make room for Axford. Several short outings from their starting pitching staff in recent games put pressure on the Rockies’ bullpen, and they need relief reinforcement.

Rosario was not happy about the move.

“I don’t feel good,” Rosario said. “I’d be lying to you if I said that. I need to be here. I’m playing at a big-league level.”

Rosario, who was converted from starting catcher into a back-up first baseman in the offseason, is hitting .357 with three doubles in 14 at-bats this season.

“I feel really good swinging,” Rosario said. “It’s something I can do, is hit. Whether they play me here or not play me every day, when I get an opportunity, the time that I do get, I play well. I give the team a chance to win.”

The Rockies on Monday got just two innings from starting pitcher Jorge De La Rosa, then five more from Tyler Matzek on Tuesday — both losses to the Padres at Coors Field. Their relief corps took on too much work in too short a span.

So the Rockies will move forward with an eight-man bullpen.

“Our hands were tied on this one,” manager Walt Weiss said. “It was really the only possible move we could make… The bullpen is what needs protecting at the moment.”

Axford returns from the restricted list after missing 10 days while caring for his 2-year-old son, who is recovering from a rattlesnake bite. His son, Jameson, returned home Wednesday exactly one month after he was rushed to a Phoenix-area hospital. He’s since been moved to Denver and is using a wheelchair while his foot recovers from the bite.

“I’ve kept myself prepared and game-ready this entire time,” Axford said.

Oberg will return after he was optioned to Triple-A on Monday. He allowed three home runs against the Dodgers in inning Sunday in a 7-0 loss.

Hawkins, the team’s former closer, pitched one scoreless inning Tuesday. But a lingering bicep injury forced him to the 15-day DL.

“This gives him some time to recover,” Weiss said.

Looking ahead

Padres’ Tyson Ross (1-0, 4.08 ERA) at Rockies’ Jordan Lyles (1-1, 3.50), 1:10 p.m. Thursday, no TV; 850 AM

Through three turns of the rotation, Lyles has been the Rockies’ best pitcher in the early going. His ERA doesn’t match Eddie Butler or Tyler Matzek. But he stays in games, throwing six innings each game so far. In his best outing — in a 6-5 loss to the Cubs in Denver — Lyles allowed just one run and struck out three. He’s 5-1 all time at Coors Field with a 4.70 ERA. But he’s just 1-3 with a 6.30 ERA against the Padres.

Friday: Giants’ Chris Heston (2-1, 0.87 ERA) at Rockies’ Eddie Butler (1-1, 2.25), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Saturday: Giants’ Tim Hudson (0-2, 3.93) at Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 31.50), 6:10 p.m., ROOT

Sunday: Giants’ Tim Lincecum (1-1, 2.00) at Rockies’ Tyler Matzek (1-0, 2.40), 2:10 p.m., ROOT

Nick Groke, The Denver Post