debuted last season but appeared in just 12 games before being sent back down to Albuquerque. He’s spent all of 2026 there, posting strong offensive numbers with a .325/.400/.637 slash line along with a 1.037 OPS and 25 homers in 99 games.

“He’s been really good at Triple-A, so it����ap time to give him some opportunity at the major-league level,” Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes said. “Role and playing time are likely to be fluid. Mostly, we hope to see quality ABs with some damage.”

In a corresponding move, the Rockies designated infielder Edouard Julien for assignment. Julien, a left-handed hitter like Veen, is struggling with a .208 average and hasn’t been playing much lately.

Veen will join the Rockies ahead of Colorado’s Tuesday game against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. The outfielder is coming off a historic game over the weekend, when he went 5-for-5 with three homers, a double and a triple in Albuquerque’s 10-1 win over Sugar Land at Isotopes Park. Those 17 total bases marked a rare feat that’s only been achieved

After being drafted at No. 9 overall six years ago out of Spruce Creek High School in Florida, Veen had a bumpy road throughout the minors leading into his 2025 MLB debut. He had to wait nearly a year to make his professional debut after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor-league season, and missed large parts of the 2023 and ’24 seasons with injuries.

Veen also dealt with substance abuse issues before The 24-year-old was smoking marijuana every day and also drinking excessively, and got in trouble with the Rockies last season when he was caught smoking during a game at Isotopes Park. But he showed up to spring training this season clean and with added muscle on his 6-foot-3 frame.

Through all those tribulations, the Rockies didn’t lose faith in Veen’s talent, but they wanted to see more maturity in the outfielder who signed for a $5 million bonus out of high school. Veen told The Denver Post in April that his goal for this season was to stay healthy and start to fully realize his potential on the diamond.

“Best-case scenario is I get 500 to 600 at-bats and I play in the most games that I’ve ever played in,” Veen said. “That is the ultimate scenario for me. In a perfect world, I’m obviously in the major leagues (at some point in ’26), but in an even more perfect world, I’m just being the best version of myself every day. And at the end of the year, the pieces fell right where I wanted them to.”

Earlier this season, Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said that the club wanted to see more plate discipline from Veen before he got another chance in the majors. During Veen’s cup of coffee with the Rockies last year, he hit just .118 with 14 strikeouts at a 37.8% K rate while looking consistently overmatched at the plate.

“If he can rein in that (aggression) a little bit because big league pitchers are better equipped to take advantage of that, he can do so much damage on so many pitches,” DePodesta said in April. “So if we can bring him in a little but still allow him to be aggressive on the right pitches, he has a really, really bright future. He’s still showing all the same tools. He’s got big power, he can run. He’s versatile defensively.”

But Veen has shown more command of the strike zone this season with the Isotopes, with a 20.4% strikeout rate as well as a 10.8% walk rate. In his return to the Rockies, he will be a platoon outfielder who will likely see most of his at-bats against right-handed pitchers. He can also bring a speed element on the bases, with 167 steals in his minor-league career.

Veen is now one of six outfielders on the Rockies’ active roster, along with rookie Cole Carrigg, Jake McCarthy, Mickey Moniak, Troy Johnston and Jordan Beck. Johnston can also play first base, and Carrigg can also play shortstop.

With Veen back in the majors, Rockies fans are still waiting on the debut of another heralded prospect, first baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon. The 2024 No. 3 overall pick is slashing .282/.397/.542 with 22 homers in Triple-A this season, and Colorado farm director Chris Forbes told The Denver Post last month that he would be surprised if Condon doesn’t debut at some point down the stretch of 2026.

The emergence of both Veen and Condon are important pieces to the Rockies’ rebuild following three straight 100-loss seasons. A few other recent first-round picks, including Beck and starting pitchers Chase Dollander and Gabriel Hughes, could also be impactful in a turnaround over the next few seasons.

Beck was recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 3. The left fielder had spent most of the year in Albuquerque after a rough start to his big-league season (hitting .196 in 35 games). Hughes debuted July 3 and has flashed rotational potential through the first chapter of his Rockies career.

Dollander, the team’s hopeful ace of the future, is currently recovering from internal brace surgery on his right elbow, which occurred on June 22. He had a 3.89 ERA in 10 games (3 starts) when he got hurt, and anticipates resuming throwing in late October.

“I’m looking at this as a chance to get better,” Dollander said. “Mentally, I feel like I’m in a really good spot and I’m making sure that I’m staying positive throughout it all. I’m leaning heavily into my faith, and making sure I know that this is happening for a reason. I’m going to find out what that reason is.

“… I’ve been reflecting on the year I was having, which has been good for me. It’s shown me that I’m capable of doing really good things, but in my mind, that’s not even scratching the surface of what I’m capable of. I’m using that as fuel every single day to get back better than what I was before.”

The Rockies (46-73) have lost six of their first seven series of the second half of 2026. They need to go 17-26 over their remaining games to avoid becoming the fifth MLB franchise with four consecutive seasons of 100 or more losses.

These are the 2026 Rockies.

They are not good, entering the weekend with a 45-70 record. But they are not awful, showing regular competence and offensive potency.

This team competes. This team cares. And it is why the final 47 games matter.

This collection of Rockies does not deserve to be forever stained by history. Colorado must win 18 times over the next six weeks to avoid becoming the first team to post four consecutive 100-loss seasons since the 1962-65 expansion New York Mets.

The ’65 Mets did not have a single player hit 20 home runs, but featured a pitcher with 24 losses. Even Hall of Famer Warren Spahn wore it, going 4-12 with a 4.36 ERA.

For a Colorado organization emphasizing “The Climb,” the incline is manageable. The Rockies must win at a 39% clip over the remainder of the season, the same pace they have performed for four months.

It is not a big ask.

Nobody on Blake Street will launch confetti canyons over 63 wins. But removing the yoke of a century of losses would lighten the burden moving forward.

“Progress is important — 100 losses is definitely something to avoid,” general manager Josh Byrnes told The Post on Friday. “But, big picture, 90-something losses is still not good enough. We have to keep making progress and build towards winning.”

With squinting, it is easy to see the offensive pieces falling into place. After somehow struggling to score the previous three seasons — imagine not being able to catch fish in a barrel — the Rockies are averaging 4.81 runs, while hitting .255 with 130 home runs.

The year-over-year jump is substantial enough — 3.68 runs, .237 average, 160 homers in 2025 — to create optimism. There are multiple players — Hunter Goodman, T.J. Rumfield, Jake McCarthy, Cole Carrigg, Mickey Moniak and Kyle Karros — who represent potential mainstays. And perhaps Ezequiel Tovar will figure out how to handle the high fastball — if not, Carrigg is a viable option at shortstop — and Charlie Condon will provide a September boost.

The lineup is lengthening, and making better swing decisions.

Pitching remains the problem.

The Rays broomed the Rockies earlier this week at Coors Field, showing the ground Colorado must cover to become a contender. There will be hiccups after trading away Antonio Senzatela and Victor Vodnik. But it is time for the young arms, like Nick Frasso, to prove they belong.

The rotation needs a bump.

The second half is about figuring out if Ryan Feltner is worthy of a spot — his stuff plays, but his inconsistency remains maddening. Is Gabriel Hughes’ cutter a sustainable weapon or a mirage? Will Mason Adams, acquired in the Brenton Doyle deal, make his case with a handful of starters over the next month? And can those three anchor the rotation in 2027 — if there is a season — before Chase Dollander returns around July?

The Rockies can always find a veteran bounce-back candidate for cheap, but there is no escape from the prison of the NL West basement or flirting with 100 losses without a young core of starters.

Colorado is projected to win 20 more games than last season. A 63-99 mark is nothing to boast about, but it represents an important baby step toward relevance.

Radio silence: The Columbus Blue Jackets eliminated their radio team, opting to simulcast their television audio feed. This is a horrible trend, depriving fans of a call that fills in the gap and provides color. If the Jackets are that broke, maybe they should cut a player instead of this corner.

He said what? New Purdue athletic director Tommy McClelland delivered one of the worst one-liners ever at an introductory presser. “We are here to win championships and if you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.” McClelland admitted his attempt at humor failed. He went off script, but this leak was so bizarre it raises questions about his judgment. Purdue hasn’t won a national championship since the women’s golf team in 2010.

The early returns on Gabriel Hughes’ first two big-league starts are promising as Colorado looks to solve its startling lack of starting pitching depth. The rookie right-hander debuted with three scoreless innings of relief against the Giants on July 3, then followed that with a quality start at the Dodgers on July 8 and five-plus innings of two run ball against the Reds on Friday at Coors Field.

Hughes’ 13 strikeouts are tied for the second-most Ks by a Colorado pitcher through his first two career starts, and Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer likes what he sees so far.

“I thought Gabe for a second big-league start could show it all,” Schaeffer said following Friday’s outing. “We’re seeing that he has a really good fastball movement-wise, and he attacks strength zone with that.

“… There’s a lot to love there with how he carries himself. It’s a really difficult environment when you first get to the big leagues and you’re making your first two starts after putting in a lot of time in the minor leagues. So for him to show the confidence out there in the mound, it’s a big deal.”

Hughes’ arrival in the majors came following a bumpy road in the minors after he was drafted No. 10 overall out of Gonzaga in 2022.

He had Tommy John surgery in 2023, then returned to the mound for the Arizona Fall League in 2024, but didn’t pitch well there with a 8.31 ERA over six starts. But he looked good in Double-A last season in Hartford, with a 3.07 ERA in nine games to earn a promotion to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Hughes’ fastball average is 93.1 mph, a drop-off from high-90s pre-surgery levels, but he’s making up for that lack of heat with 6.9 feet of extension from the rubber, which is 88th percentile in the majors. That can make his fastball appear faster, and his ability to manipulate fastball movement (Hughes averages 9.7 inches of induced vertical movement on the pitch) is helping him limit barrels (only 2.7%) through his small MLB sample size.

“Being able to understand where I’m at right now, and maximizing that instead of pining for where I was three or four years ago, is important,” Hughes said. “It’s a daily struggle, wanting to have that pre-surgery form… but it’s forced me to become a much better pitcher in other ways — in developing offspeed pitches and attacking the zone. I’m really thankful for the struggles I had to go through.”

The mid-game tinkering Hughes has been able to make so far with his top offspeed pitches, the sweeper and slider, has been promising.

“I’m getting a better idea (on how the sweeper works at Coors Field),” Hughes said. “Being able to make the adjustment quicker… and being able to come back with that pitch effectively (on Friday), even though I’d missed with it earlier, was a really good sign.”

Since the start of the 2023 season — as the Rockies have accumulated more losses than any other franchise — the club has attempted to fill in its rotation with C-list veterans due to its dearth of homegrown big-league starters. This year, that meant signing Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano and Jose Quintana. Other notable recent Colorado starters that fit this description were Cal Quantrill and Dakota Hudson in ’24, and Chase Anderson and Chris Flexen in ’23.

Filling in significant gaps in the rotation with scrap-heap free agents isn’t a long-term strategy for success, which is why Hughes’ potential is all the more important going forward. If he can be an effective big-league starter — and if Chase Dollander can live up to ace expectations in his return from this year’s season-ending elbow surgery — that duo would go a long way to shortening the load time for the Rockies to be competitive again.

“There’s a lot to build off of,” Hughes said. “There’s still more to be done, but I’m feeling very good about how the first two starts have gone, and feeling good about knowing what I have to work on and that (those improvements) can definitely be done.”

Prior to drafting Dollander (No. 9 overall in 2023) and Hughes, the Rockies whiffed on four straight dating back to 2015: Ryan Rolison, Riley Pint, Robert Tyler and Mike Nikorak. Colorado’s most recent first-round arm, 2024 No. 38 overall pick Brody Brecht, is currently in High-A.

Avoid four straight 100-loss seasons

Only four MLB franchises have lost 100-plus games four seasons in a row, and it would be an important moral victory for the Rockies to avoid joining this dubious club that features the Boston Doves/Braves (current Atlanta Braves) from 1909-12, the Phillies (who hold the record with five consecutive from 1938-42), the Washington Senators (current Rangers) from 1961-64, and the New York Mets from 1962-65.

At 39-59 (.398) entering Friday, the Rockies need to go 24-40 (.375) to finish 63-99.

To finish with 99 losses would be a huge leap from last year’s historically inept 119-toss campaign. It would also be an obvious sign that Colorado’s first-year front office, led by president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes, has some traction.

Can the 2027 Rockies be the White Sox, who are in first place in the AL Central this season, two years after setting a modern record with 121 losses? Probably not, considering the Rockies’ division is much tougher, but look at what Chicago did last season. The White Sox cut their defeats by 19 to 102. They let young talent flourish while adding some big names around them, i.e., signing all-star first baseman Munetaka Murakami this year.

Make impactful trade-deadline moves

The Rockies need to start winning the trade deadline and break the habits under past GMs Bill Schmidt and Jeff Bridich that simply weren’t working — no matter if Colorado was a buyer or a seller. This year’s deadline is August 3.

A quick recent history lesson of Colorado trade deadlines gone wrong: Recall how Schmidt didn’t move Elias Diaz at the 2023 trade deadline, when the catcher’s market value peaked with his All-Star selection and subsequent MVP in the Midsummer Classic. Instead, the Rockies hung onto Diaz into 2024, didn’t trade him again, and then released him that August and got nothing for him.

Even when the Rockies made an aggressive selling move last season, sending third baseman Ryan McMahon in exchange for minor-league pitchers Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz, that was an empty trade for Colorado until DePodesta salvaged it with a deft deal in January. Herring has an 8.06 ERA in Hartford this year, and Grosz was dealt to the Diamondbacks in an offseason trade that brought outfielder Jake McCarthy to Colorado.

Going back even further, the Rockies’ trade-deadline record is mediocre at best.

See: Not trading shortstop Trevor Story at the 2021 deadline (Story declined Colorado’s qualifying offer that offseason, and the Rockies got a comp pick for that, which they used on recently-debuted outfielder Sterlin Thompson). And in 2017 and ’18, the Rockies didn’t do enough to bolster playoff teams. That was especially true in ’18, when Colorado had its first division title within its sights, but its only significant deal was for right-handed reliever Seunghwan Oh with the Blue Jays. Oh was a valuable bullpen piece, but the Rockies needed more.

So this deadline, it’s clear Colorado needs to sell high on both right-hander Antonio Senzatela (who has a club option next season) and outfielder Mickey Moniak (under club control through 2027).

Senzatela has been the Rockies’ best bullpen arm this season, with a 3.31 ERA in 30 appearances and 1.4 WAR; after being converted from a starter, his market value has never been �󾱲�������and will probably come back down to earth next season. As for Moniak, he’s having another solid season, batting .278 with 15 homers, and in a crowded Colorado outfield, it’s hard to see the 28-year-old in Colorado’s long-term rebuilding plans.

DePodesta should also field offers for the team’s two veteran starters who could bring return value in the form of controllable minor-league arms. Those two possibilities are right-handers Michael Lorenzen (who has a club option for 2027 that includes a $250,000 buyout) and Tomoyuki Sugano (who is on a one-year deal; he’s currently on the IL for a back spasm issue that Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said isn’t serious).

Decide on a starting pitching plan for 2027

Speaking of starting pitching, Colorado should use the trade deadline and the second half to narrow its focus on a blueprint to address the team’s Achilles heel going forward. The Rockies must identify which current rotational arms could be options for the future, and who in the minors could realistically be projected to step up and fill gaps over the next couple of seasons.

Ryan Feltner, who is under club control for two more seasons and has a 4.55 ERA in 13 starts in 2026, is a safe bet to be part of the rotation again in 2027. Prized young pitcher Chase Dollander, whose 2026 season was ended by on his right elbow last month, is in the club’s future plans. But it’s unlikely he’ll be ready for a full starter’s workload in 2027.

Beyond those two, there are many questions and very few answers.

Longtime rotational mainstay Kyle Freeland has a 7.36 ERA in 17 starts; he has a that vests with 170 innings pitched this year. He’s currently at 88 innings and has only hit 170 innings once in his career, in 2022. The Colorado kid’s time in LoDo could be in its final chapter.

The second half will be a good chance for Colorado to evaluate some unproven arms — especially 2022 first-round pick Gabriel Hughes, and possibly southpaw Sean Sullivan, who is currently back in Triple-A — while formulating a rotational plan for 2027.

There’s not a ton of help on the immediate horizon on the farm, so DePodesta will have to get creative to continue to fill in the starting pitching gaps. Bringing back Lorenzen, who has trade value as discussed above, and signing a veteran or two off the scrap heap could be the course. While there are glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel in every other facet of the club, starting pitching depth remains the central issue that the Rockies must solve.

Figure out if Ezequiel Tovar is in the long-term plans

Ezequiel Tovar signed a at the end of spring training in 2024 and immediately made that deal look like a bargain for Colorado. That season, Tovar won his first Gold Glove Award and accumulated 3.4 WAR while hitting .269 with 26 homers and an NL-best 45 doubles.

But over the past two seasons, the falloff has been steep and undeniable, especially on offense.

Tovar had an injury-riddled 2025, limiting him to 95 games while sapping his power and diminishing his defensive wizardry. His hitting this season has been bad — he’s accumulated -0.7 bWAR while batting just .200 with eight homers in the first half. His bat at home, where he’s hitting .190 at Coors Field, has been especially concerning.

The Rockies’ next-in-line at shortstop, No. 1 prospect Ethan Holliday, was showing promise in his first full season of pro ball with Low-A Fresno. But a stress fracture in his left foot Drafted out of high school at No. 4 overall, Holliday is still several years away from the big leagues. Colorado also just used its most recent first-round pick this year on another shortstop, Kentucky switch-hitter Tyler Bell at No. 10 overall, though Bell is projected as a player who could change positions.

Colorado’s only other shortstop option on the 40-man roster is Ryan Ritter, who is currently in Triple-A.

So what will the Rockies do, considering Tovar has five more years left on his deal? They’ve been patient so far, but Tovar’s lack of production should make his role a talking point internally going forward.

… and same question with Brenton Doyle

The Rockies have also seen an alarming drop-off from center fielder Brenton Doyle.

Like Tovar, Doyle has also been sub-replacement level this season with -0.4 bWAR. Doyle, who won consecutive Gold Glove Awards in 2023 and ’24, is under club control for three more seasons. After slugging 23 homers with a .260 average in ’24, he regressed last season before nosediving in this one. Slowed by injuries in 2026 — he’s been on the injured list with an oblique contusion for almost two months — he’s batting just .207 with one homer in 43 games.

This season has been nothing short of a disaster for Doyle, and the production of Jake McCarthy (batting .301) as well as the arrival of promising rookie Cole Carrigg has created the possibility that Doyle is now expendable in center field.

“There is definitely a different mentality this season,” All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman said Tuesday before the Rockies hosted the Red Sox at Coors Field. “You can feel it in the clubhouse, and we take that with us to the field. Now, it feels like we can beat anybody, any night.

“Don’t get me wrong, we still want to — need to — win more than we have, and we are not where we want to be, in terms of wins and losses. But this year, there has been a lot better vibe, and much better results. We’re winning games we would have lost last year.”

True enough. The Rockies entered Tuesday night’s game with a 31-48 record, on pace to finish 98-64 with a minus-182 run differential. Not good, certainly, but a quantum leap from last year when the Rockies finished the season with 119 losses and a minus-424 run differential that was by far the worst in major league history.

Six months ago, Goodman, the team’s only All-Star in 2025, spoke bluntly about the state of the team.

“Last year, we had a super young team, me included,” Goodman said during Fan Fest. “I think we had a lot of people (who) were just happy to be here.

“When I first got called up, I was just happy to be here. And you can’t play like that. You’ve got to walk on the field and be like, ‘We’re the best team. I’m the best player on the field.’ You’ve got to walk on the field with a different level of confidence.”

Goodman, whose 21 home runs ranked fifth in the majors entering Tuesday’s play, feels that confidence growing.

“We have a lot of energy, and we’re going out to compete every night,” he said Tuesday. “We didn’t always have that last year.”

Manager Warren Schaeffer was thrilled to hear about Goodman’s comments.

“Absolutely, I’ve felt that vibe,” Schaeffer said. “And I’m glad he said it. It’s their team. It’s his team. (But) that makes me feel good, because I believe it. I’m trying to facilitate that. We set a high standard, and everybody wants to live up to that.”

Tangible evidence of Colorado’s improvement is its ability to win close games, such as its dramatic, 3-2, walk-off victory over the Red Sox on Monday night.

“I think that’s big in the process of becoming a winning team,” Schaeffer said. “Because winning teams win one-run games. The small things always show up in a game, but specifically in one-run games, there are make-or-break difference-makers.

“Whether it’s how you run the bases, how you execute on the mound, how you execute at the plate — situationally. Basically, what it all comes down to is, ‘How do you handle pressure?’ So, in one-run games, it’s about who handles the tough situations better. We have been getting better at that. It’s been good to watch these boys grow.”

Dollander undergoes surgery

Right-hander Chase Dollander underwent internal brace surgery on his right elbow on Monday. Dollander was able to avoid Tommy John surgery, which would have required rebuilding his elbow.

“Everything went well,” Schaeffer said. “Everything seemed to have gone well.”

Dollander was removed from a May 14, 2026, game against the Pirates in the second inning with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Dollander is still looked upon as the future No. 1 pitcher in the rotation.

Depending on the extent of UCL damage, some athletes choose the brace procedure over Tommy John surgery, in part because it allows them to return to the playing field more quickly.

According to a that analyzed 350 athletes who had undergone UCL internal bracing over three years, the average recovery time is seven months.  That means anywhere from five to nine months faster than recovery time after Tommy John reconstruction.

Fans saw him on Saturday’s probable list and began hitting up friends or searching online for tickets.

At the same time, a question arrives via email and text: Will the Rockies ever have their version of Skenes?

They did. In 2010.

Ubaldo Jimenez posted a 19-8 record with a 2.88 ERA.

He threw a no-hitter at Atlanta. In the span of seven starts, he allowed fewer than two hits four times.  He started the All-Star Game in Anaheim when he was 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA.

His four-seam fastball averaged 96.1 mph, per PITCHf/x data. His sinker — a bowling ball with devil’s horns — averaged 96.6 mph. For comparison, Skenes’ heater checks in at 97.1 mph this season.

Jimenez became Kevin Brown with Greg Maddux’s command, working 221 2/3 innings in 2010, third-most in Rockies’ history.

It is no coincidence that Colorado made the playoffs in 2007 and 2009 with Jimenez in the rotation. Because of an awkward exit in a trade, Jimenez remains one of the most underappreciated Rockies ever. He went 56-45 with a 3.66 ERA in six seasons, including 30-19 with a 3.66 ERA at Coors Field in 67 games.

The Rockies need a fire-breathing dragon.

They thought they had one in Chase Dollander, but he is facing elbow surgery.

With Skenes set to pitch at Coors Field — he is comfortable in Colorado after starring at Air Force — I figured it was a good time to catch up with Jimenez.

He still follows the Rockies — he took the mound in Denver last August when the Savannah Bananas were in town — and has ideas on how to help.

His first suggestion: stop letting starters run from the problem.

“In my opinion, they have to develop pitchers for Coors Field. They should avoid the mistake of emulating what the rest of MLB organizations are doing when it comes to preparation. They have to implement their own way,” Jimenez said. “To be a consistent starter in Colorado, your body requires endurance to resist the hardships of altitude and adaptations of going on the road. All the pitchers who were consistent in any kind of way — Pedro Astacio, Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, German Marquez, myself — we all ran distance the day after our games. I am an avid believer in running distance to stay healthy. And I always tell people who go against it, check baseball history and see how the all-time great ones lasted — running distance! ”

Jimenez understands that his advice jogs against the grain.

Today’s pitchers typically use short bursts and explosive movements in training to mimic moves made on the mound. There is no denying it has spiked velocity. It is impossible to watch a game and not see a pitcher flirt with triple digits or, in the case of Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, live there.

But at what cost?

Dollander, if and when he has surgery, will miss the remainder of this season and possibly all of 2027.

“I know. It’s so bad to think about that. I saw him pitch a couple of games,” Jimenez said. “And he has great stuff.”

Though the upcoming draft could change things, there is no other Dollander in the Rockies’ system. Brody Brecht, drafted in 2024, brings heat, but is struggling with command at Class-A Spokane.

Jimenez prescribes “an attitude for altitude.” He looks across the sport and connects injuries to training.

Brian Jordan, a former Rockies strength-and-conditioning coach in the majors and minors for 15 years, saw firsthand how Jimenez’s program paid dividends.

“He was very gifted and a very hard worker. I would agree that his running and lifting helped with his durability, while he was still explosive,” said Jordan, the owner and director of sports performance at Peak 303 in Englewood. “While not every pitcher could or should do the program he did, I absolutely agree that generally speaking mistakes are being made with how pitchers are being trained. When you sell out solely for performance, the trade-off is less durability. We are definitely seeing that at all levels, not just at the professional level.”

The Rockies raced off to a surprising start in April because of their pitching — 4.17 staff ERA — but the transmission dropped. Due to injuries to Jose Quintana, Kyle Freeland, Ryan Feltner and Dollander, they have been forced to lean on younger arms and too hard on the bullpen. Colorado is 14-29 since May 1 with an ERA well north of 6.

“It has been a reminder that Coors Field games have more hits. And there are more home runs in the warm weather. The toll is a hard test,” Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes said on returning to work in Colorado for the first time since 2002. “We have looked at how many days off the (relievers) have had, and how many multiple-inning games they’ve had. We are still exploring and learning.”

There is no perfect formula. Even in seasons when the Rockies have pitched well, they have struggled to repeat their success.

But Jimenez is adamant that Colorado’s environment demands the proper baseline.

“I know that we should adapt to new times and use every resource to get better. And that pitchers must adjust preparation to what works for them. But you can’t eradicate the foundation of pitching longevity. Why do boxers run distance when preparing for a fight when they don’t run in the ring? To have the endurance to throw punches for 12 rounds,” Jimenez said. “In 50, 100 years from now the next generation will examine how pitching in this era changed so dramatically, and they’ll be asking who was the ‘genius’ who came up with developing every pitcher as a reliever.”

No power pitcher has ever pitched better in Denver than Jimenez. Even Skenes allowed four runs in five innings in his lone start at Coors Field last August.

It remains a baseball tragedy that Jimenez failed to become the Rockies’ first 20-game winner in 2010, a milestone missed because of bad luck, including a dropped popup, and meager offensive support.

That he remains the zenith explains the problem. The Rockies need more like him. It has been 19 years since Jimenez, along with left-hander Franklin Morales, was promoted from the minors and helped Colorado win 21 of 22 games to reach the World Series.

The Rockies have made significant year-over-year progress this season, but are still losing more games than anyone else.

This can change. But not without better starting pitching.

They need another Ubaldo. Or two.

“They have one of the greatest fan bases who support them and wait for the team every year (to improve),” Jimenez said. “They have many staffers in the organization who have worked so hard to reach the goal of winning a championship in Denver. Hopefully, they put it all together soon and God opens the door once again.”

The club’s prized right-hander is likely facing surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament, most likely Tommy John surgery.

“It����ap looking like surgery on the UCL,” manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters in Las Vegas. “Nothing is set in stone, but that����ap the way it����ap trending.”

As trends go, that’s about as bad as it gets. The Rockies, once again, have the worst starting rotation in the majors, owning a 5.88 ERA heading into Saturday night’s game vs. the A’s in Las Vegas.

Dollander, selected out of the University of Tennessee with the ninth overall pick of the 2023 draft, was supposed to author Colorado’s bright new chapter. But for all of his 100 mph firepower and talent, Dollander’s big league career had a rocky start.

As a rookie last season, he posted a 2-12 record with a 6.52 ERA, including a 9.98 mark at Coors Field. It was a bitter taste of reality for a pitcher that many in the organization believe can become the best pitcher in franchise history.

One reason for belief is a mentality that seems to prepare Dollander for success and the ability to cope with failure. As The Denver Post’s Troy Renck wrote during spring training, “Dollander believes the worst season of his life will be the best thing that happened to him.

“I will take the lessons I learned from it through the rest of my career,” Dollander said, looking back on Colorado’s 119-loss debacle. “I think if you don’t take it personally, you are not in a good spot. I definitely did. No. 1, we are too good to be getting tossed around like this. And No. 2, I am too good to be getting tossed around like this.”

But now Dollander’s career is being flipped upside-down. He is scheduled to be examined by Dr. Keith Meister next Friday. Meister, based in Texas, is an orthopedic surgeon and a specialist in elbow reconstruction. If Dollander undergoes surgery, he’ll be done for the rest of this season and most of next year. An internal brace procedure usually means a 12 to 14-month recovery. If Dollander requires a full elbow reconstruction, there’s a chance he’ll miss the entire 2027 season.

Either way, it’s a huge blow and presents a Mount Elbert-sized challenge for the Rockies’ front office.

More than seven months ago, in a suite at the Cosmopolitan Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, Paul DePodesta made a light-hearted but prophetic statement.

“I’ve used this phrase before, but I’m a bit of a sucker for a challenge,” DePodesta said with a laugh.

The Rockies’ president of baseball operations was less than a week into his new job when he made that quip during Major League Baseball’s general managers’ meetings.

“I have been part of (a rebuild) a number of different times,” DePodesta continued. “And I actually really enjoy it. I love winning — don’t get me wrong, that����ap ultimately where I want to get to — but building that, getting to the winning, is incredibly gratifying. So that was absolutely part of the attraction.”

Now, however, DePodesta and Co. have to figure out how to handle this glitch in their blueprint. The Rockies have some intriguing pitching prospects, including lefty Sean Sullivan (who made his debut Friday night), and right-handers Gabriel Hughes, Eiberson Castellano and Jackson Cox. But there is no pitcher in the system that has Dollander’s talent or wow factor.

DePodesta, general manager Josh Byrnes, and their lieutenants must work a trade like the one that landed right-hander German Marquez. He was acquired in one of the best deals in franchise history.

In January 2016, former GM Jeff Bridich engineered a trade for Marquez and reliever Jake McGee from Tampa Bay in exchange for outfielder Corey Dickerson and minor-league infielder Kevin Padlo.

Marquez debuted in late 2016 and made 29 starts in 2017 (4.39 ERA). In 2018, at age 24, he blossomed into a star with one of the best seasons ever by a Rockies starter. He struck out 230 in 196 innings and finished with a 3.77 ERA. Over his final 14 starts, Marquez struck out 124 in 93 innings, posted a 2.61 ERA, and had six double-digit strikeout games — including four 11-K games in September as the Rockies qualified for the playoffs and came one win away from unseating the Dodgers from the National West throne.

The Rockies look like they are at least two seasons away from being a playoff contender. Without Dollander, that timeline gets dicey — unless DePodesta and Co. can work some magic before the Aug. 3 trade deadline and during the offseason.

The Rockies no longer embarrass themselves with split-squad spring training lineups or pitchers who need a compass to find the strike zone. It had grown so odorous, seven straight losing seasons, three consecutive with 100 losses. The spectacular failure was made worse by leadership hilariously trying to camouflage incompetence with arrogance.

The on-field product has made strides. The Rockies entered Saturday 26-44. They did not reach this win total last season until July 23 when they were 26-76.

It makes me think the 2027 or 2028 Purple Rox could become the 2026 Chicago White Sox.

All of which means nothing.

And the best thing is that the new front office recognizes this.

“In general, there has been some improvement. But, we have to be realistic. We have a ways to go,” general manager Josh Byrnes told The Post. “We have to get better, create something sustainable and maintain high standards as we chase that.”

Approaching the midpoint of the season, the Rockies are likable and watchable. They are in such a better place that it is easy to forget the mountains left to climb. Colorado is on pace for 60 wins. The fact that number is encouraging provides a reminder of how awful things had become.

Crowing about avoiding 100 losses is like bragging about being valedictorian when home-schooled.

It is why Byrnes was reluctant to acknowledge the inching forward.

Truth is: what have they done?

There are pockets of success that should not be ignored, like first baseman T.J. Rumfield’s rookie-of-the-year candidacy, Antonio Senzatela’s remarkable conversion from MLB’s worst starter to a dominant reliever, Willi Castro’s versatility and Cole Carrigg’s caffeinated energy, his promotion a reflection of the organization’s emphasis on swing decisions that will translate to the big leagues — 15 % strikeout rate, 11 % walk rate in Triple-A.

Of course, there is the gnashing of teeth about the pitching. The Rockies play at altitude and, at times, without gravity.

The historically strong April for the rotation seems like forever ago because of injuries to Chase Dollander — he is likely facing UCL surgery in his right elbow — and Jose Quintana (elbow) and the Coors Field fatigue of Kyle Freeland.

Sean Sullivan provided a jolt in his big league debut on Friday, but it is hardly soothing balm on this headache.

Forget Byrnes and president Paul DePodesta; Connie Mack and Branch Rickey were not fixing the Rockies overnight.

But the franchise belongs to the new leaders, and it is time for them to flex their muscles.

The trade deadline is not until Aug. 3, but there is little to be gained by waiting.

Other than catcher Hunter Goodman and Dollander, no player should be untouchable.

The Rockies have started calling around, piecing together potential fits and wants, aiming to accelerate Colorado’s return to contention.

“We are constantly in touch with other teams. The brainstorming is constant. Some are more motivated than others,” Byrnes said.

Byrnes showed shrewdness in acquiring Rumfield for forgettable reliever Angel Chivilli. They recently landed minor league reliever Andrew Baker from the Phillies for international bonus pool space. Don’t be surprised if the right-hander is in the big leagues in a few months.

Moves of all sizes must be considered and executed over the next seven weeks. This is why DePodesta and Byrnes were hired. They have friends across baseball who will actually take their calls.

The biggest chip is shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. He has $50 million remaining on his contract after this season. That cost certainty is the reason for not dealing him, and why he could land a haul of prospects if the acquiring club believes he will hit.

It is obvious Senzatela will be dealt. Getting a future major league piece back is paramount.

If somebody wants to overpay for Seth Halvorsen so the Rockies get two relievers like him, pull the lever.

Mickey Moniak provides professional at-bats and power. But the timing could be right to move him for a legitimate prospect given the way Charlie Condon and Zac Veen are pushing the envelope in Triple-A. Or keep Moniak and package Veen as part of a bigger deal.

Nobody wants to sell low on center fielder Brenton Doyle, but contenders covet defense. Colorado has to listen.

The Rockies’ leaders don’t have all the answers. I prefer those making decisions have fallibility and humility. It makes their efforts thorough and exhaustive, adjectives long a stranger on Blake Street.

The deadline and the July draft are the touchstones for overhauling a franchise. For too long in Colorado, they brought dread, inactivity and embarrassment, or all of the above.

It is on these front office executives to change the narrative.

Their knowledge, their experience, their willingness to take chances on deals and waiver claims, like Troy Johnston, will be needed to revive a franchise that has made ignoring baseball a local pastime.

The job started in the winter. But the real work begins now, where right moves can put the Rockies on the White Sox’s trajectory. Chicago went 41-121 and 60-102 over the past two seasons, and is on pace to finish 88-74 this year.

Rox to Sox? That works.

“You can get out of it. Detroit kind of flipped it. Miami is doing better. Baltimore tanked and turned it around,” Byrnes said. “And the White Sox are showing what can happen with savvy moves. We have made progress, but we are nowhere near where we want and need to be.”

Sullivan’s call-up on Friday comes with the news that right-hander Chase Dollander, whom the Rockies hope will develop into a No. 1 starter, was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.

According to manager Warren Schaeffer, there is a good chance that Dollander will have to undergo Tommy John surgery, which would end his season and set back his progress.

“It����ap looking like surgery on the UCL,” Schaeffer told reporters in Las Vegas. “Nothing is set in stone, but that����ap the way it����ap trending.”

Officially, Dollander has a right elbow sprain and is scheduled to be examined by Dr. Keith Meister next Friday. Meister, based in Texas, is an orthopedic surgeon and a specialist in elbow reconstruction. Dollander, out since May 15, will now be on the IL until at least July 15.

Sullivan started on Friday night when the Rockies played the Athletics in Las Vegas.

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 not only lost Dollander to an elbow injury, but also veteran lefty Jose Quintana. Also, 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.

If that were really true, then it would make no sense to point out that after 55 games last season, the Rockies had a 9-46 record. Or to note that after 55 games this season, the Rockies are 20-35 — an 11-game improvement.

But, in the real world, you can’t separate the two seasons. We need a measuring stick to gauge the state of the Rockies. So, using Memorial Day as a traditional baseball milestone, here is an assessment of the club with one-third of the season in the books:

Won-loss record: Colorado entered Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles with the lowest winning percentage (.364) in the majors and the worst run-differential (minus-65). The woeful Angels (20-34, .370, minus-62) are competing with the Rockies as the worst team in baseball.

At their current pace, the Rockies would finish the season 59-103 and become the first team since the 1961-64 Washington Senators to suffer four consecutive 100-loss seasons.

Starting rotation: Paul DePodesta, the first-year president of baseball operations, spent $19.1 million to sign veteran pitchers Michael Lorenzen ($8 million), Jose Quintana ($6.0), and Tomoyuki Sugano ($5.1 million). The theory was that adding the trio would stabilize the rotation and give Colorado’s young pitchers time to develop. It’s a solid plan.

But after a relatively strong start, the plan is falling apart. Rockies starters had a 5.67 ERA entering Tuesday night’s game. That’s the worst in the majors, and although it’s not as bad as the historically bad 6.65 ERA the rotation posted last season, it’s heading in that direction.

The Rockies have a 6-17 record in May, and the starters’ failures are the chief culprit. They are  2-13 with a 7.11 ERA, though right-hander Tanner Gordon gave Colorado five solid innings on Monday night to stop the bleeding.

Sugano’s excellent start on Friday night in Arizona (6 2/3 innings and two runs allowed) was an anomaly. It provided Colorado with its first quality start since Quintana (six innings, one run) on May 1 against the Braves. Sugano’s outing snapped a streak of 18 consecutive starts without a quality start by a Colorado pitcher, the third-longest drought in franchise history and the longest since a 21-game stretch June 5-28, 2012.

Injuries, coupled with a lack of quality depth, have played a major role. Quintana left Sunday’s start in Arizona in the second inning with elbow pain and is now on the 15-day injured list. Right-hander Chase Dollander (right elbow sprain) won’t even begin throwing for another two weeks. At least right-hander Ryan Feltner (right ulnar nerve inflammation) will return to the rotation this week. He’s been out since April 24.

While Sugano has been solid (4-3, 3.86 ERA), Lorenzen has been one of the worst pitchers in the majors with a 7.21 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, and a .353 batting average against.

And home-grown lefty Kyle Freeland has struggled since coming back from the IL (left shoulder tightness) on April 28. In five starts since his return, he’s posted a 10.32 ERA.

What’s especially concerning is that the Rockies’ pitching prospects seem a long way away from helping out.

Of the Rockies’ top 10 prospects (MLB Pipeline), only three of them are pitchers: right-handers JB Middleton and Brody Brecht, and lefty Griffin Herring. None of them is expected to debut until 2027, at the earliest. Lefty Sean Sullivan (No. 11) and Gabriel Hughes (No. 16) could be in the rotation sooner, but neither projects as an impact starter.

Colorado needs more talented young pitching in the system, perhaps via trades.

Power outage: Colorado entered Tuesday’s game with 46 home runs, tied for the fifth-fewest with Arizona, Detroit and San Francisco. In May, the Rockies have slugged only 15 homers, tied with the D-Backs for the third fewest. The Rockies have hit only 21 homers at Coors Field, the fourth-fewest at home among big-league teams. The Blake Street Bombers are not on deck.

Though Schaeffer loves homers, he says he’s not overly concerned by his team’s lack of power.

“You don’t need to win by hitting home runs,” Schaeffer told reporters on Saturday night in Arizona. “You win by doing a lot of different things. We won a game (Friday) night without hitting a homer. I’ll take that 162 times.”

Poor execution: The Rockies brass won’t say it publicly, but there is a huge talent gap between the Rockies and most of the teams they play. Add in the lack of power and bad starting pitching, and it’s easy to see why they are heading for another 100-loss season.

Schaeffer and the front office want a fast, athletic team that pushes the action. The Rockies have done that, at times, this season. But Schaeffer’s style of baseball requires sharp execution and precision. That’s been lacking in May. Too many walks by the pitchers and too many empty at-bats and poorly executed bunts have frustrated Schaeffer.

“Both of their leadoff walks scored, and we had eight free passes; that’s not good enough,” Schaeffer told reporters on Thursday night after a 2-1 walk-off loss to the Diamondbacks. “We can’t do that. And (there was a) lack of execution. They execute, we don’t execute tonight, and we lose. Story of the game.”