NL West pitching prodigy gets disappointing injury news

The Rockies need all the help they can get. The team is off to the worst start in the modern era, and well, just isn’t very good even when they are healthy. 

Unfortunately, with rookie phenom Chase Dollander landing on the injured list, they now have yet another problem. 

Dollander was placed on the 15-day IL—retroactive to May 19th—with right forearm tightness.In a corresponding roster move, Colorado recalled reliever Juan Mejia to help fill some innings in Dollander’s absence. 

“Absolutely – we’re taking care of our young kid,” Manager Warren Schaeffer said.

Dollander was starting to hit his stride in the big leagues too, with the righty’s stats starting to increase despite pitching at hitter-friendly Coors Field. 

“It’s a mixture of a bunch of things we’ve looked at,” Dollander said. “The coaches and I looked at things like what hitters are looking for and made some adjustments in order for me to add a little bit of success. And on top of that, my routine carried me into knowing that I’m doing everything I can to be ready.”

“It’s a little bit of mechanics, trying to get down the mound toward the plate instead of being stuck over my backside. That’s helped a lot. It’s just being more athletic on the mound.”

Dollander is only expected to miss the minimum time, with the righty likely to return to the mound again soon. The Rockies, who recently dropped to 8-42, are searching for anyone that can help remedy them from a disastrous 2025. 

“We can’t focus on the past, can’t focus on the future, just be in the present moment,” Dollander said. “You can’t put too much pressure on yourself because things have not gone the way we wanted. We know we’re in the big leagues for a reason, so just go out and show it.”