Pirates Claim Rockies Pitcher Off Waivers

Darnell Joins the Rockies

Darnell signed with the Rockies on a minor league deal on Feb. 6, 2021, starting off with Single-A Fresno.

He posted a 0.66 ERA over eight outings and 13.2 innings pitched, which moved him up to High-A Spokane on May 27 and he spent the rest of the season there.

Darnell spent the rest of his season with Spokane, posting a 4-3 record in 36 appearances, a 2.38 ERA over 41.2 innings pitched, two holds, 15 saves in 16 opportunities, 63 strikeouts to 10 walks, .188 opposing batting average and a 0.89 WHIP.

He pitched for Double-A Hartford in 2022, where he posted a 5.29 ERA over 38 relief appearances and 47.2 innings pitched.

Darnell improved in 2023 with Hartford, posting a 6-1 record in 22 outings, a 1.55 ERA over 29.0 innings pitched, 41 strikeouts to 14 walks, a .196 opposing batting average and a 1.17 WHIP, plus seven saves in seven opportunities.

The Rockies promoted him to Triple-A Albuquerque on July 4 and he spent the rest of the campaign there, posting a 6.04 ERA over 25.1 innings pitched and 18 appearances.

Darnell spent almost all of 2024 with Albuquerque, where he had a 5.58 ERA over 40.1 innings pitched in 40 outings

He started again in Triple-A in 2025, where he had a 5-2 record in 35 appearances, a 3.19 ERA over 53.2 innings pitched, 63 strikeouts to 19 walks, a .216 opposing batting average and a 1.14 WHIP.

Rockies Bring Darnell Up to the MLB

Darnell finally realized his dream of making it to the MLB, when the Rockies selected his contract and brought him up on Aug. 1.

He made nine appearances out of the bullpen, with a 1-0 record, a 3.86 ERA over 11.2 innings pitched, seven walks to five strikeouts, a .244 opposing batting average and a 1.46 WHIP.

Darnell made his MLB debut against the Pirates on Aug. 1 at Coors Field, throwing two scoreless frames in the eight and ninth innings, helping the Rockies made an incredible comeback in the 17-16 victory, where he got his first win.

He pitched the next day against the Pirates, closing out the ninth inning, but giving up a solo home run to Pirates first baseman Liover Peguero, his third home run of the game, but still giving the Rockies an 8-5 comeback win.

Injury Sidelines Darnell

Darnell pitched in his final game last season on Aug. 21 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, which saw him take a line drive off his hip from Dodgers outfielder Alex Call.

The Rockies placed Darnell on the 15-day injured list with left hip inflammation and then transferred him to the 60-day injured list.

Darnell needed surgery on his hip, as it was a torn labrum, which was scheduled for late September and has an eight-month healing period, keeping him out until June 2026.

What Darnell Brings to the Pirates

Darnell has three pitches he relies on, a four-seam fastball, a splitter and a slider. He mostly relies on his fastball, throwing it 52.7% of the time, while also throwing his splitter 26.9% of the time and his slider 20.9% of the time.

His fastball hits around 93.7 mph and hitters had a tough time with it at just a .167 batting average.

Batters had better effectiveness against his offspeed pitches, but also swung and missed more often. His slider had a 33.3% whiff rate and his splitter had a 16.7% whiff rate, compared to just 11.6% for his fastball.

The Pirates will have a veteran pitcher, who turns 29 next June, that they could use if their bullpen suffers injuries and they need someone to join the roster for period of time.