Rockies Place Ryan Feltner On Injured List
The Rockies placed Ryan Feltner on the 15-day injured list with back spasms. The placement is retroactive to April 29. Righty Bradley Blalock is up from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move.
Feltner has been the best pitcher in a floundering Colorado rotation. He owns a 4.75 earned run average through 30 1/3 innings over six starts. His 18.5% strikeout rate is middling, but he’s getting grounders at a 48.5% clip while showing solid control. Feltner posted similar numbers in 30 starts a year ago. He pitched to a 4.49 ERA with a near-20% strikeout rate in a career-high 162 1/3 frames. It may not be the most exciting profile, but the former fourth-round pick has been a rare source of stability at the back of Bud Black’s rotation.
Colorado did not provide a timeline for Feltner’s return. According to the MLB.com injury tracker, he felt continued soreness in his lower back during a game of catch on Thursday. He also missed a bit of time in the second half of last season, but he made it back within a few weeks of going down with a shoulder strain.
If he’s in for a similarly brief absence, Feltner could find his name in trade rumors this summer. Colorado has been reluctant to entertain offers on players with contractual control — and sometimes on rentals even in losing seasons — but they’ll again enter deadline season as a seller. Feltner is playing on a $2.275MM salary in his first of four years of arbitration. The Rox’s track record suggests a trade is unlikely, but GM Bill Schmidt should receive calls from teams seeking affordable back-of-the-rotation help if Feltner is healthy.
Blalock could step into Feltner’s rotation spot, which is scheduled for tomorrow’s game against the Giants. Blalock started six of seven big league appearances last year as a rookie. He has come out of the bullpen for two of three MLB outings this season, allowing eight runs in seven innings. Blalock has started all three appearances with Albuquerque, giving up six runs while managing only 8 1/3 frames with 10 walks and seven strikeouts. Colorado’s other four starters — Kyle Freeland, Germán Márquez, Antonio Senzatela and Chase Dollander — have each posted an ERA of 5.22 or worse this season.
The Rockies’ Latest Missed Trade Opportunity
Ryan McMahon should have been available at last summer's deadline. The Rockies third baseman got out to a strong start to the 2024 season. He raked in April and continued to hit well through the end of May. His production began to tail off in June, but he carried a solid .272/.350/.447 batting line into his first career All-Star Game. His exit velocities were up, and he was making contact a little more frequently, at least early in the season.
Some of McMahon's early-season results were driven by unsustainable batted ball numbers. He had a .355 average on balls in play through the first two months. Teams wouldn't have expected hits to keep falling at quite that rate, yet even slightly above-average offense would be sufficient when paired with a plus glove. The trade market was light on infield talent. McMahon would have been an attractive target for contenders. The Yankees and Blue Jays were among the teams that reportedly expressed interest.
The Rockies never seemed to consider moving him. Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported as early as May 29 that McMahon was "highly unlikely" to be available. Three weeks later, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post confirmed there was essentially no chance of a trade. Saunders wrote that the front office was keen on a left side infield tandem of McMahon and newly-extended shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. Perhaps more significantly, he reported that McMahon was a favorite player of Rox owner Dick Monfort.
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Rockies Outright Lucas Gilbreath
The Rockies announced that left-hander Lucas Gilbreath has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Albuquerque. He had been designated for assignment on the weekend to make room on the roster for Alan Trejo.
Gilbreath, 29, once seemed to be cementing himself as a solid piece of the Colorado bullpen. Over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he tossed 85 2/3 innings with a 3.78 earned run average. His 13.2% walk rate was on the high side but he managed to punch out 25% of opponents and get grounders on almost half the balls in play he allowed. He earned four holds in the first of those two seasons and then 12 more in the second.
But as is so often the case, arm troubles got in the way. Tommy John surgery in March of 2023 wiped out that entire season for him. He was reinstated from the injured list in August of 2024 but made just three appearances before landing back on the shelf due to shoulder inflammation, staying there for the rest of the season.
Gilbreath crossed three years of service time during those two lost seasons. The lefty and the Rockies avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $785K salary for this year, a bit above this year’s league minimum, which is $760K. Since he has hit the three-year service line, Gilbreath has the right to elect free agency and reject this outright assignment. But since he’s below the five-year line, he would have to walk away from what’s left of that money.
He will presumably accept his outright and keep pitching for Triple-A Albuquerque. He’s already been with that club this year, having been optioned before Opening Day. He has a 2.70 ERA through seven appearances so far. He should provide the Rockies with some non-roster depth as he tries to earn his way back to the majors.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
West Notes: Arraez, Padres, Leiter, Tovar, Tellez
It was a week ago tonight that Luis Arraez was carted off the field in Houston after he collided with Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubon during a play at first base. Early concerns of a neck or jaw injury dissipated when Arraez was back in the Padres‘ clubhouse later that night after a trip to the hospital, and though Arraez was placed on the concussion-related injured list, the three-time batting champ feels he will miss just the minimum seven days.
Arraez took part in a full workout with some other injured Padres players on the field today, and told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell that he is free of concussion symptoms. Tuesday would mark the earliest that Arraez is eligible to be activated, and he is now just “waiting for the doctor, whatever he says” about a possible okay to resume playing.
As for San Diego’s other injured players, Jason Heyward might also be activated Tuesday, as was working out on the field and is also nearing the 10-day minimum date after his IL placement for knee inflammation. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Jackson Merrill and Brandon Lockridge (both out with hamstring injuries) are expected to take part in a live batting-practice session at the Padres’ spring camp on Monday, and Merrill was also feeling good enough to take part in today’s defensive workout. Jake Cronenworth (rib fracture) is feeling good enough to take part in some light fielding drills, but Sanders notes that Cronenworth hasn’t yet attempted diving for balls.
With the weekend wrapping up, here are some more items from the NL and AL West divisions…
- The Rangers activated Jack Leiter from the 15-day IL today, with right-hander Gerson Garabito heading to Triple-A in the corresponding move. A blister issue had kept Leiter from pitching since April 2, and some rust was apparent, as Leiter allowed two earned runs (on four walks and two hits) over 3 1/3 innings in Texas’ 3-2 loss to the Giants. Leiter tossed 76 pitches and was on a pitch count anyway, though obviously the Rangers would’ve preferred to see the former top prospect get a bit deeper into the game. Leiter still has an impressive 2.03 ERA over 13 1/3 innings this season, and will continue in the rotation at least until some of the club’s other injured starters return to action.
- Ezequiel Tovar was eligible to be activated off the Rockies‘ 10-day injured list this weekend, but manager Bud Black told the Denver Post’s Jeff Saunders and other reporters that Tovar will need another 7-10 days of recovery time. Tovar is dealing with a left hip contusion and hasn’t played since April 15, leaving the struggling Rockies short one of their few breakout players from the 2024 season.
- Rowdy Tellez was a late scratch from the Mariners’ lineup today, as the slugger is apparently still feeling sore after being hit on the hand by a pitch in Saturday’s game. X-rays were negative on Tellez’s hand, he told Shane Lantz of the Seattle Times and other reporters, so it appears to be a precautionary move on the Mariners’ part. Seattle has an off-day on Monday, so Tellez will receive two full days off before his next attempt to play.
Rockies Designate Lucas Gilbreath For Assignment
The Rockies announced a series of roster moves this morning, including their previously reported trade for infielder Alan Trejo. Trejo has been selected to the roster, with catcher Braxton Fulford having been optioned to make room for Trejo on the active roster. Southpaw Lucas Gilbreath was designated for assignment to clear space for Trejo on the 40-man roster. Additionally, right-hander Jaden Hill was optioned to the minors while righty Bradley Blalock was recalled to the big league roster.
Trejo, 29 next month, returns to the organization for whom he was a 16th-round pick in 2017 draft. The infielder debuted with the club in 2021 and has appeared in 173 major league games since then, all of which came as a member of the Rockies. He’s hit just .228/.276/.334 in that time, though he’s been a serviceable depth option for the club’s bench over the years thanks to strong defense all around the infield. Still, Trejo’s lack of offense led the Rockies to designate him for assignment in June of last year. He promptly cleared waivers and elected free agency. Since then, he’s played for the Dodgers and Rangers in the minor leagues but will now make his return to both the Rockies and the majors in general as an infield bench option now that Kyle Farmer has been pushed into an everyday role by an injury to Ezequiel Tovar.
Making room for Trejo on the 40-man roster is Gilbreath, a seventh-rounder selected by Colorado as part of the same draft class as Trejo. The southpaw also made his big league debut during the 2021 season, and he enjoyed a solid rookie campaign out of the bullpen with a 3.38 ERA in 42 2/3 innings of work. That’s a particularly impressive figure for the player who calls Coors Field home, though he walked a worrisome 12.4% of his opponents while striking out 23.8%, leaving him with a less impressive 4.32 FIP. Even so, he was able to build on his success in 2022 and deliver another solid year of work when he pitched to a 4.19 ERA (111 ERA+) with a much stronger 3.53 FIP in 43 frames, though his strikeouts and walks were largely unchanged from the year prior.
Despite the shaky command, Gilbreath looked like a bullpen piece with real potential for the Rockies headed into the 2023 season. Unfortunately, he underwent Tommy John surgery and wound up not only missing the whole year, but nearly the entire 2024 season due to his rehab. Gilbreath returned to the majors in August of last year but was torched to the tune of a 54.00 ERA across three appearances that totaled just one inning of work. He remained with the Rockies after signing a pre-tender deal back in November, but he’ll depart the roster without making a big league appearance this year. In seven appearances at Triple-A this year, Gilbreath has posted a solid 2.70 ERA but has struck out just 14.7% of his opponents while walking 11.8%.
Making room for Trejo on the active roster is Fulford, who made his big league debut earlier this month. He went 1-for-8 with a home run and five strikeouts in his four-game cup of coffee in the majors and is now ticketed for Triple-A, where he’ll serve as optionable catching depth for the time being. Joining him in the minors is Hill, who has looked solid with a 3.38 ERA in three appearances for the Rockies this year, while Blalock rejoins the pen after surrendering two runs in three innings of work earlier this year.
Rockies Acquire Alan Trejo, Plan To Select His Contract Sunday
The Rockies have acquired utility infielder Alan Trejo in a trade with the Rangers. Texas receives cash considerations in return. According to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, the Rockies plan to add Trejo to their active roster ahead of Sunday’s series finale with the Reds. They will need to free up space for him on both the 26 and 40-man rosters.
This trade reunites Trejo with the team that drafted him in 2017. He made his MLB debut for the Rockies in 2021 and played in 174 games for Colorado between 2021-24. In that time, he slashed .228/.276/.334, good for just a 54 wRC+ given the harsh park adjustments for the hitter-friendly Coors Field. While Trejo never offered much with the bat, he was a versatile defender, capable of playing second base, third base, and shortstop.
After he was designated for assignment last summer, Trejo became a free agent for the first time in his career and inked a minor league pact with the Dodgers. He spent the final three months of the 2024 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He then elected free agency again in November and latched on with the Rangers over the offseason. While he earned an invitation to big league camp, he failed to make Texas’s Opening Day roster.
Trejo got off to a rough start in 2025 for the Round Rock Express, the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate. Through 19 games, he hit just .211 with a .599 OPS and a 45 wRC+. Nonetheless, the Rockies clearly missed his versatile glove on their bench, so they’re bringing him back into the fold. With Ezequiel Tovar, Thairo Estrada, and Tyler Freeman on the injured list, the Rockies were short enough on infielders before Aaron Schunk hit the 10-day IL with a groin strain earlier today. Trejo will provide some much-needed depth. Presumably, he will take third-string catcher Braxton Fulford‘s spot on the active roster. The Rockies called Fulford back up on Saturday when Schunk was placed on the IL, just a day after Fulford was optioned to Triple-A.
Rockies Select Owen Miller
The Rockies announced the selection of infielder Owen Miller onto the major league roster. Colorado optioned third catcher Braxton Fulford back to Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move. The Rox opened a 40-man roster spot by transferring Thairo Estrada from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.
Miller reaches the majors for the fifth consecutive season. He played somewhat regularly with Cleveland between 2021-22, combining for a .231/.283/.338 slash over 190 games. The Guardians traded him to Milwaukee over the 2022-23 offseason. Miller posted a .261/.303/.371 line in 314 plate appearances during his first season with the Brewers. He wasn’t much of a factor last year, appearing in only 14 games before being designated for assignment in July.
The right-handed hitter cleared waivers and remained in Triple-A with Milwaukee for the rest of the year. The Brewers dealt him to the Rockies in the opening days of the offseason. He made 28 appearances this spring as a non-roster invitee. Miller began the year in Triple-A, where he’s hitting .244/.322/.372 with two homers through 90 trips to the plate. While that’s not especially impressive in the Pacific Coast League, Miller posted a more respectable .276/.354/.392 line in Triple-A last year. He’s not an option at shortstop but can back up the other three infield positions.
Ryan McMahon is the everyday third baseman. The injury to Ezequiel Tovar has pushed Aaron Schunk into regular shortstop work. Youngster Adael Amador is starting at second base on most days, while Kyle Farmer is also mixing into the middle infield. Miller joins Farmer on Bud Black’s bench. He’s out of minor league options, so the Rockies would need to designate him for assignment if they decide to take him off the MLB roster.
Estrada’s IL transfer officially rules him out for the first two months of the season. The 60-day minimum backdates to Opening Day. Estrada broke his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch late in Spring Training. He would have opened the season as the starting second baseman after signing a $3.25MM free agent contract.
Rockies Option Zac Veen, Outright Evan Justice
The Rockies announced Wednesday that they’ve optioned outfielder Zac Veen to Triple-A Albuquerque and assigned lefty Evan Justice outright to Albuquerque after he cleared waivers. Veen’s return to Triple-A clears the way for center fielder Brenton Doyle to be reinstated from the bereavement list.
Veen, 23, was the ninth overall draft pick back in 2020 and for several years ranked among the sport’s top 100 prospects. His stock has dipped in recent seasons as his production wilted a bit in the upper minors. He put together a solid 2024 campaign, however, slashing.258/.346/.459 between Double-A and Triple-A — although he was far more productive at the lower of those two levels. Veen got out to a nice start in Triple-A this year, hitting .387/.472/.677 in 37 plate appearances, earning his first call to the show with that impressive output.
Things didn’t go well for Veen in Denver. He appeared in a dozen games with the Rox and floundered at the plate, hitting just .118/.189/.235 in an identical amount of playing time (37 plate appearances) to his early run in Albuquerque. Big league pitchers punched Veen out 14 times (37.8%), and he chased pitches off the plate at an ugly 36.6% rate. His 58.3% contact rate, as measured by Statcast, is the sixth-lowest in baseball among hitters with at least 30 plate appearances.
Rough as that debut effort was, it came in a small sample and was preceded by a track record of generally solid minor league production. Veen may no longer be viewed as the potential star outfielder he was seen as a couple years ago, but he touts a career .263/.358/.430 batting line in the minors — including a .266/.336/.531 line in 129 Triple-A plate appearances. He also only just turned 23 this past December, meaning he reached the majors at an age when most prospects — certainly the majority of college draftees — are still in the minors. He’ll head back to Triple-A for the time being and continue to refine his approach, and barring some form of major injury, it’s likely he’ll return to the big leagues at some point in 2025.
In the meantime, the Rockies will deploy an outfield with Doyle in center, where he’ll be flanked by a combination of Mickey Moniak, Nick Martini, Jordan Beck and Sean Bouchard. It’s a patchwork collection of corner options, which only further underscores that there ought to be a place for Veen later on if he continues to show well in Albuquerque. Martini is a 34-year-old journeyman. Bouchard is a homegrown product who’s in his fourth partial season. He’s fanned in nearly 31% of his big league plate appearances and will turn 29 next month. Moniak was a low-cost, one-year signing who can work in a fourth outfield role. Beck, like Veen, has been viewed as a top prospect within the Rox system but has yet to piece things together in the majors.
As for the 26-year-old Justice, he’ll stick with the Rockies as a depth option. The 2021 fifth-rounder made his big league debut in 2023 and has pitched 7 2/3 frames for Colorado since. He’s been roughed up for seven earned runs in the majors and has had a tough start in Triple-A as well, surrendering six runs with more walks than strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Justice’s 2024 season was shortened by a back injury that required a monthslong absence. He’s had trouble staying on the mound, also missing time with arm troubles in earlier seasons, but Justice has fanned more than 28% of his opponents in pro ball.
Kris Bryant Discusses “Extremely Frustrating” Back Injuries
Kris Bryant‘s star-crossed Rockies tenure added another chapter earlier this week when the former NL MVP was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier this week due to lumbar degenerative disc disease. Recurring back issues are just one variety of the of several injuries that have limited Bryant to 170 games over his three-plus seasons with Colorado, yet it appears to be the most persistent obstacle keeping Bryant from getting onto the field for any sustained length of time.
Bryant shared some details about his situation with reporters (including MLB.com’s Thomas Harding) on Sunday, including some of the side effects of his current back problem. After undergoing an exercise program yesterday, Bryant said “I woke up not feeling great,” and described himself as being “in constant pain and nauseous, where I can’t eat, which was the situation today.” The nature of the back injury can come and go, as Bryant described a game situation where he was feeling fine for most of the contest, but by his final at-bat could barely swing.
The “extremely frustrating” degenerative disc disease has left Bryant at least thinking about a surgery, though “the doctors aren’t there yet” in recommending it. Such a procedure would almost surely end Bryant’s 2025 season and put him onto another lengthy cycle of rehabilitation and workouts with an eye towards Opening Day 2026, maybe as a best-case scenario.
For now, Bryant isn’t sure when he’ll feel well enough that a return to the field is feasible. He received two anti-inflammatory shots on Tuesday, though the injections apparently only provided limited help given his nausea today. In the bigger picture, Bryant also said he isn’t considering retirement, stating plainly that “I want to play. I want to talk to doctors, see if there’s anything else we can do. But, yeah, I want to not give up.”
Bryant’s seven-year, $182MM contract with the Rockies can’t be considered anything but a bust, as Bryant has hit only .244/.324/.370 over 712 plate appearances during the life of the deal, and the Rox have a disastrous 192-315 record since Opening Day 2022. Beyond all the talk of salaries and second-guessing front office decisions, one can’t help but feel sympathy for Bryant as he is struggling through what is clearly a painful situation that is impacting the quality of his life.
Until a health breakthrough emerges or perhaps until Bryant decides to get surgery, all he and the Rockies can do is play the waiting game. Colorado’s dismal 4-17 start has almost surely sunk whatever chance the team had at a competitive season, and the Rox have increasingly turned to a number of younger players making their MLB debuts as a possible glimpse into the future.
Rockies Place Victor Vodnik On Injured List, DFA Evan Justice
The Rockies announced a flurry of bullpen moves this morning headlined by the club placing right-hander Victor Vodnik on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Zach Agnos was selected to the roster to replace him and will make his MLB debut when he first gets into a game. Meanwhile, left-hander Evan Justice was designated for assignment to make room for Agnos on the 40-man roster.
Vodnik, 25, made his MLB debut back in 2023 and emerged as an intriguing bullpen piece for the Rockies last year. He pitched to a 4.28 ERA in 73 2/3 innings, good for an above-average 110 ERA+ due to the fact that he calls Coors Field home. His 4.18 FIP was also slightly above bar when adjusted for ballpark, and he generated grounders at an impressive 54.4% rate that helped to make up for his lackluster 20.3% strikeout rate and inflated 11.3% walk rate. All of that was enough to make Vodnik one of the more impressive relievers in the Rockies’ bullpen last year, and after picking up nine saves in 2024 he figured to be in the conversation for the closer job once again this year.
That’s not how things have played out so far, as Vodnik has scuffled badly so far this season. While his 4.50 ERA isn’t markedly higher than last year’s figure, his peripherals have fallen off massively. Most notably, he’s walking an unacceptable 17.1% of his opponents while his groundball rate has dipped to just 42.9%. While these struggles have occurred in just nine appearances, Vodnik’s 6.52 FIP and 7.26 xERA are difficult to ignore. It seems as though Vodnik’s issues with finding the strike zone were at least enough to convince the Rockies to give him some time to reset on the injured list. If the issue is only a short-term issue and simply an opportunity for Vodnik to get sharp before returning to the big league bullpen, he could be back in the fold early next month. It’s possible a longer stay could be required as well depending on the severity of the injury, but no firm timetable for Vodnik’s ailment has been announced to this point.
Replacing Vodnik on the club’s roster is Agnos, a tenth-rounder from the Rockies’ 2022 draft. The 24-year-old hurler was primarily a hitter in college but converted to pitching upon being drafted. After a strong 2023 season where he mowed down hitters at Single-A Fresno to the tune of a 2.06 ERA with a 30.8% strikeout rate, Agnos followed that up with an even more dominant showing at the High-A and Double-A levels last year. He struck out 31.3% of opponents while showing off a 1.38 ERA, including a 1.95 ERA with the team’s Hartford affiliate. That was all more than enough to earn Agnos a call-up to Triple-A to start 2025, and so far he’s picked up right where he left off with a 2.25 ERA and 32.3% strikeout rate in eight innings of work. That exciting production will now get a chance in the majors, albeit with the challenge of calling Coors Field home attached as well.
Making room for Agnos on the 40-man roster is Justice. The southpaw did not appear in the majors this year but has had brief stints with Colorado in each of the past two campaigns. A fifth-rounder selected by the Rockies back in 2021, Justice has just 7 2/3 innings of work at the big league level during which he’s surrendered a 8.22 ERA and 5.08 FIP. The lefty has walked (9) more batters than he’s struck out (8) while also allowing 14 hits in ten appearances. The Rockies will have one week to try to work out a trade involving Justice or else attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he manage to get through waivers unclaimed, the Rockies would then have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues to serve as non-roster depth going forward.