Projecting Rockies Opening Day Pitching Staff: Rotation, Bullpen and Key Injuries

The starting rotation was announced by the Rockies and found a familiar face taking Opening Day honors. Kyle Freeland will lead the team against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Friday.

During day two against the Marlins, Michael Lorenzen will pitch and Jose Quintana will finish the series. After the team travels to Toronto, Tomoyuki Sugano will face the Blue Jays and Ryan Feltner will be in the fifth position.

Freeland anchoring the rotation is no surprise. He will be a good choice to set the tone.

Behind him, Lorenzen and Quintana will provide veteran stability. Both bring experience to the table, which could end up being critical for Colorado given their constant struggles with consistency in recent seasons.

Sugano is one of the more intriguing and welcomed decisions for the team. He will need to make the transition to MLB from Japan, but he certainly represents upside. Uncertainty also looms over him as no one knows how he will adjust to the unique challenges of Coors Field and the Major Leagues.

Feltner got the fifth rotation spot for the time being. His development will determine whether he holds onto that.

Bullpen

Given that the roster has been announced, there really aren’t any surprises here. There is a similar mix of established arms and developmental pieces, but with history serving as a good teacher for the team, expect to see some of these names move up to the starting pitching rotation as regular-season results start to prove themselves.

• Victor Vodnik
• Jimmy Herget
• Juan Mejia
• Zach Agnos
• Brennan Bernardino
• Jaden Hill
• Chase Dollander
• Antonio Senzatela

Vodnik stands out as the projected closer. Herget brings experience and a unique pitching profile that could bring positive results.

One of the notables here is Chase Dollander who was in the mix for a starting position during spring training. The decision had to be based on experience. Letting him serve as a reliever to begin the season will allow further development of what could be a multi-inning arm for the future.

Injury List Impact

The Rockies pitching depth has already been tested a bit with four players already on the injury list.

• McCade Brown - 15 day IL. Brown suffered right shoulder inflammation and just isn’t ready to be on the roster. He has been throwing bullpens and working toward a return.
• Pierson Ohl - Ohl is out for the season after undergoing ligament transfer Tommy John surgery on March 4. The Rockies won’t be able to utilize him until 2027.
• Jeff Criswell - 60-day IL. His targeted return will likely be a moving target after he suffered a torn right elbow ligament. He could return to minor league action sometime in April.
• RJ Petit - out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on March 20.