The Rockies are dipping into their prospect pool and promoting left-hander Sean Sullivan to hopefully prop up their injury-riddled and wobbling starting rotation.
A major league source confirmed that Sullivan will start Friday night when the Rockies play the Athletics in Las Vegas. The Denver Gazette first broke the news.
Sullivan is not on Colorado’s 40-man roster, so the Rockies will have to make a corresponding roster move to make room for the lefty.
The 23-year-old left-hander was the Rockies’ second-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2023 when he impressed with a 2.45 ERA over 69 2/3 innings in his final season for the Demon Deacons.
Sullivan is ranked as the Last year, Sullivan thrived against hitters in Single-A and Double-A, posting a 2.94 with a 24.9 strikeout rate over 20 starts.
But his numbers skyrocketed this season, pitching for Triple-A Albuquerque in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He has a 5.60 ERA in 11 starts at Triple-A with a 20.2% K rate.
The lanky, 6-foot-4 Sullivan is not a flamethrower, but throws from a three-quarters arm slot that adds deception and makes hitters uncomfortable. Although he throws his four-seam fastball 41% of the time, the velocity is just 89 mph. Sullivan mixes in an upper-70s slider with a changeup and a cutter. His changeup is his best pitch, and he has excellent control. He walked just 6% of hitters last season at Single-A and Double-A, while walking 7.7% of hitters pitching for the Isotopes this season.
Sullivan will make his major league debut in the Triple-A stadium in Las Vegas, where he has some experience. The lefty last pitched there on May 19 and got hammered. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on 12 hits while striking out four and walking none.
Rockies starters have a collective ERA of 5.94, easily the worst in the majors. The club has lost right-hander Chase Dollander and lefty Jose Quintana to elbow injuries, and right-hander Tanner Gordon recently went on the 15-day injured list with a hip impingement.
Veteran right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano has been Colorado’s best starter, posting a 4.08 ERA. Veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen (7.54 ERA in 15 games, 11 starts) and longtime Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland (7.81 ERA in 11 starts) have been hit hard.
