The Rockies placed Dugan Darnell on the 15-day injured list on August 22 and then moved him to the 60-day IL two days later, officially ending the right-hander’s first Major League season. Darnell was initially sidelined due to left hip inflammation, but he told the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders and other reporters that tests revealed a torn left hip labrum, and surgery will be required. The procedure is expected to take place closer to the end of September, and Darnell is facing a recovery period of roughly eight months.
An Alex Call line drive struck Darnell in the hip on August 21, during the Rockies’ 9-5 loss to the Dodgers. That fateful plate appearance may have been the last straw in forcing the surgery, as Colorado interim manager Warren Schaffer suggested last week that Darnell had been dealing with lingering hip soreness even before Call’s liner.
Regardless, it’s a tough setback for Darnell’s career so soon after he’d finally completed a long journey to the majors. Darnell signed as an undrafted free agent with Colorado in February 2021, following two years of playing independent ball. The righty then posted a 3.74 ERA over 255 1/3 innings in the Rockies’ farm system, working out of the bullpen in all but two of his 200 appearances.
After some rough numbers at the Triple-A level in 2023 and 2024, Darnell posted a 3.19 ERA, 28.8% strikeout rate, and 8.7% walk rate over 53 2/3 innings in Albuquerque in 2025. This was enough for Darnell to earn a trip to the Show at the start of August, and he delivered a 3.86 ERA over 11 2/3 innings and nine relief outings for Colorado. The 28-year-old benefited from some good luck in the form of a 76.9% strand rate and a .257 BABIP, as Darnell had more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five) during his brief time with the Rockies.
In the best-case scenario, Darnell will be available by June 2026, so he’ll start next season on Colorado’s 60-day injured list. If there’s any silver lining to this situation, Darnell will continue to amass Major League service time while on the IL.
“If there’s any silver lining to this situation, Darnell will continue to amass Major League service time while on the IL.”
And an MLB paycheck
He is a professional baseball player and the Rockies seem ok with paying him.
“it’s all in the hips!” -Chubbs
So I have a question. Can injured players be non-tendered like any other players in the off season? You have just assumed that he will be on the roster gaining service time until he is healed. Seems to me holding a fringe player like Darnell on the 40 man all off season knowing that he won’t be available until at least June is kind of a waste of a valuable roster spot. I like Darnell and he is a great story, but those roster spots are like gold in the off season.
If they are on the 60 day IL I do not believe so. Don’t think iv ever seen it.
But they cannot stay on the 60 day IL during the off season. All players have to be activated after the season is complete
Yup. After this season, No 60 day IL until the start of the regular season in 2026.
The Brewers non-tendered Brandon Woodruff a couple years ago when he was going to miss his last arb year due to surgery. So what you suggest can certainly be done with a player who has reached the arbitration years; I assume it would be the same for a pre-arb player like Darnell.
And it probably makes sense in his case for the reason you mention. Maybe they can offer him a minor-league contract at higher than the typical AAA salary to induce him to stay in the organization, assuming the surgery seems to go well.