Mickey Moniak returned from the injured list ahead of Monday night’s game between the Red Sox and Rockies at Coors Field. Meanwhile, Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck left Denver on Monday to begin their rehab stints with Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.

And speaking of the Isotopes, outfield prospects Charlie Condon and Zac Veen are battering Triple-A pitching and threatening to kick down the big-league door.

It will be Byrnes’ job — along with Paul DePodesta, the president of baseball operations — to make some important, franchise-shaping decisions in the coming weeks.

For a rebuilding team like the Rockies, that entered Monday’s game with a 30-48 record, the Aug. 3 trade deadline looms as a huge opportunity. Byrnes acknowledged Monday that the franchise lacks big-league-ready pitching and must build depth. Trades could be part of the equation.

“I think that, candidly, we’d like to — and it’s been done here before — build a pitching staff that’s playoff caliber and hopefully sustainable for several years,” he said. “Not just the players, but the methods behind it. I think it’s probably pretty high on the list for what we’re trying to do.”

Asked if trades could be a solution, Byrnes answered: “I think that’s spot on. I think that’s where we see it too. We need more upper-level pitching. We’ve found some, you know, in various ways.”

Byrnes pointed to right-hander Andrew Baker as an example. Colorado acquired Baker, 26, from the Phillies last month in exchange for international signing money. Baker will soon be promoted from Double-A Hartford to Triple-A, Byrnes said.

“We just have to constantly be on the hunt for pitching, hopefully, up and down the organization,” Byrnes said.

In the winter of 2015, former Rockies GM Jeff Bridich and his staff were hunting too. Venezuelan right-hander German Marquez was coming off a promising season with the Charlotte Stonecrabs, Tampa Bay’s High-A team, and the Rockies were very interested.

The Rockies and the Rays completed the trade in January 2016, with the Rockies acquiring left-handed reliever Jake McGee and Marquez in exchange for outfielder slugger Corey Dickerson and infielder Kevin Padlo. Marquez turned out to be one of the best pitchers in Rockies history and helped them make the playoffs in 2017 and ’18.

“Jack Gillis gets a lot of the credit for having done a lot of the scouting work … He had seen German pitch a number of times,” Bridich told The Post in 2019. “Jack had an instinct and gut feel for what German could become at the major-league level.”

Dickerson, a fan favorite, had a breakout season in 2024, slashing .312/.364/.567 with 24 home runs and 27 doubles. However, his 2015 season was marred by plantar fasciitis in his left foot, making him expendable in a trade.

Perhaps the Rockies are exploring trading a Dickerson-like outfielder now? To the question about trading from outfield depth, Byrnes gave a vague response.

“We’re talking to teams constantly,” he said. “I, obviously, won’t reveal too much about who or what we’re talking about. Teams usually make trades because they have depth (at a position) and trade out a bit.”

Colorado certainly has talent in the outfield, but how enticing it is to other teams remains to be seen.

Before Moniak went on the IL on May 22 with right ankle tendinitis, he was slashing .280/.335/.607 (942 OPS) with 12 home runs. There was talk of a possible trip to the All-Star Game.

Monday night, the Rockies started exciting rookie Cole Carrigg in center. He hit .250 with three homers in his first 12 games. Speedy Jake McCarthy (.295 average, five home runs, .801 OPS) started in left, and Tyler Freeman (.268, three homers, .771 OPS) started in right. Colorado also has Troy Johnston (.309, three homers, .811 OPS) on the current big-league roster.

Regarding Doyle and Beck returning to the Rockies after their rehab stints, manager Warren Schaeffer recently said that the club is in no rush to make roster decisions.

At Triple-A, Condon, ranked as Colorado’s No. 2 prospect by MLB.com, is sizzling. In 17 games in June, the right fielder has hit .262 with a 1.055 OPS and six home runs. Overall this season, he’s slashed .262/.397/.512 with 14 homers.

Veen, the No. 13 prospect, has hit safely in 22 straight games, the longest active streak in the minors. He’s slashing .419/.433/.828 with 11 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, and 18 RBI over the stretch.

So, what does Byrnes tell the hot prospects when they’re still down on the farm, biding their time?

“If you’re in Triple A and you think you should be in the big leagues, I think it’s a fair question,” he said. “I often say to players, ‘You’re not a human being if you’re not like, a little, why am I not getting a shot?’

“That’s a human reaction. So, we can explain that there’s a lot about an individual player’s readiness, what’s going on with our rosters — a lot of reasons. I also say, ‘Maybe we’re right, maybe we’re not.’ (Their instinct is), they’re ready. We’re saying not quite, not quite yet.”

The Rockies’ slumping outfielder was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain on Monday before Colorado hosted Texas at Coors Field. Beck injured the hamstring on Saturday while chasing flyballs before Colorado’s game against Arizona.

This season, Colorado had high hopes that Beck would evolve into an everyday player who could provide juice in the middle of the order. It hasn’t happened. His inability to hit right-handed pitching has limited his playing time and stalled his progress.

“I see a guy who is taking good, solid at-bats against left-handed pitching, and a guy who is struggling against right-handed pitching in general,” manager Warren Schaeffer said.

The statistics illustrate Beck’s dilemma. Against left-handed pitching, he’s slashing .316/.341/.526 (12-for-38) with three doubles, one triple and one home run. But he’s slashing .068 (3 for 44) vs. right-handers, the second-lowest average in the majors against right-handed pitchers (minimum 30 at-bats).

“Listen, honestly, it’s kind of a Catch 22 because he’s not getting a ton of at-bats against right-handed pitching, to be fair,” Schaeffer said. “Because of how our roster is constructed this year, we have a lot of left-handed batters — against right-handed pitching — that have really performed well over the course of the season.”

Schaeffer was referencing left-handed-hitting outfielders Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy and Troy Johnston.

“So, Jordan just hasn’t got the opportunities, probably, that he’s wanted so far,” Schaeffer continued. “He’s still a really good baseball player. Still, in my opinion, not a platoon player over the long haul of the future. It’s just where it’s at right now.”

Schaeffer said he doesn’t think Beck’s hamstring injury is severe.

Beck started slowly last season, too, and was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 7 after starting the season hitting 3 for 20 (.150) over nine games. He was recalled on April 19 and remained on the big-league roster the rest of the season. Following his recall, Beck slashed .262/.319/.426 with 27 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs and 16 stolen bases.

During spring training, Beck said he was eager to improve as a hitter from both sides of the plate and geared his offseason routine to that goal.

“You’ve got to adapt at this level,” he said. “If you don’t, you get left behind, so you have to adjust. Every year, pitchers are coming up with new ways to attack you, so we need to handle that and be able to cover both sides of the plate even more.”

Roster shuffle. In other moves on Monday, Colorado optioned right-handed pitcher Blas Castaño to Triple-A Albuquerque and recalled right-hander Zach Agnos. The club also recalled catcher Braxton Fulford from Triple-A.

Fulford was in the starting lineup Monday night as the designated hitter, batting ninth. His promotion gives Colorado three catchers on its 26-man roster.

“We brought him up to hit left-handed pitching and to make our lineup against left-handers more formidable,” Schaeffer said.

O’Dowd rakes. Low-A infielder Jack O’Dowd, the son of former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd, was named the California League player of the week after slashing .450/.478/1.000 with three doubles, one triple, two home runs, and seven RBIs for the Fresno Grizzlies.

Rockies center fielder Mickey Moniak finally broke the spell, poking a one-out single to left center in the seventh inning. Pittsburgh center fielder Oneil Cruz made a desperate dive for the ball but came up empty. So Skenes, who attended the Air Force Academy, had to settle for a merely mortal eight innings of two-hit, 10-strikeout pitching in Pittsburgh’s 3-1 victory.

Colorado’s other hit off Skenes was a one-out double by Troy Johnston in the eighth. The Rockies (16-26) lost for the ninth time in their last 11 games.

Key moments: The Pirates’ offense didn’t do much against Colorado pitching, but then, they didn’t need to. They took a 1-0 lead in the first inning off Colorado right-hander Michael Lorenzen. Oneil Cruz led off with a double over Moniak’s head in center and scored on Nick Gonzalez’s two-out single.

Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead in the fifth, combining a Cruz double and a Brandon Lowe single off of Lorenzen. The Bucs tacked on a third run on Bryan Reynolds’ RBI single off Victor Vodnik in the seventh.

Colorado, blanked 6-0 by the Phillies on Sunday, avoided a second straight shutout on back-to-back doubles by Jordan Beck and Hunter Goodman in the ninth.

Who’s hot: Johnston, who reached on a hit-by-pitch in the fifth inning, was the only Rockies baserunner to get on twice. Johnston is hitting .328 with an .860 OPS. He’s hit safely in 16 of his last 18 starts, hitting .369 with nine RBIs over that span.

Who’s not: Edouard Julien, who’s been so good from the leadoff spot for most of the season, went 0 for 3 with a strikeout on Tuesday, his average dipping to .260. After hitting 2 for 18 with nine strikeouts on the last homestand, Julien is 1 for 7 on the current road trip.

Worth noting: Over his last eight starts, Skenes, the 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner, has a 1.83 ERA. In his last start, he took a 1-0 decision over Arizona after allowing just two hits and striking out seven over eight scoreless innings last Wednesday. The right-hander is 9-1 with a 1.65 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 13 career starts vs. the National League West.

Pitching probables

Wednesday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (1-2, 3.90 ERA)at Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (4-1, 2.87 ERA), 4:40 p.m.
Thursday: Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (3-2, 3.35) at Pirates RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3, 4.50 ERA), 10:35 a.m.
Friday: Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (2-3, 7.62) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-4, 6.00), 6:40 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

For a franchise that has had almost zero success with selecting high school pitchers in the first couple rounds of the draft — Aaron Cook and, to a lesser extent, Jamey Wright are the only notable exceptions — it still remains possible that could buck that trend.

Cox is Colorado’s highest-drafted high school pitcher since the Rockies whiffed by taking Riley Pint at No. 4 overall in 2016. Cox was selected in the second round at No. 50 overall out of Toutle Lake High School (Washington) in 2022. In the time since, he went through Tommy John surgery midway through ’23, missed all of ’24 and then was on an innings limit in ’25.

But those speed bumps haven’t dented the confidence of Cox, who is currently in High-A Spokane.

“In the next couple of years, I definitely see myself as a starter in the big leagues,” Cox said. “I’ve just got to keep working and keep chasing that hunger to be the best.”

In a sport defined by what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, Cox’s recent returns are promising.

The 6-foot-2 right-hander struggled out of the gate in ’25, with a 15.43 ERA in four April starts with Low-A Fresno. But then he dialed in his curveball and finished the season with a 3.39 ERA in 23 starts. That featured several dominant stretches, including a sizzling July in which he had a 2.74 ERA in five starts with an 11.7 K/9 ratio and an eye-popping 15.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The 22-year-old has taken that momentum into this season in Spokane, where his K/9 rate is 12.4. He has a 4.25 ERA in six games this season heading into his next start for the Indians on Tuesday. In his last outing on May 5, he spun a career-high seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts in a win over the Tri-City Dust Devils.

“Outings like that, I’m just trying to show that that’s the standard I hold myself to and that’s what the Rockies can expect when I walk out onto the mound,” Cox said.

Cox’s goals for this season include 200 strikeouts and a sub-3.00 ERA. With swing-and-miss stuff, Cox’s fastball sits in the mid-90s and he can reach back to hit 98 mph when needed. His curveball is in the low 80s, and his four-pitch mix is rounded out by a changeup (which he added during his Tommy John rehab) and a cutter (which he added in this offseason as a bridge between the fastball and curveball), both of which sit in the high-80s.

“I’ve definitely implemented the curveball a lot more over the past couple seasons, especially earlier in the game, because that’s always been my best pitch,” Cox said. “But the development of my changeup and recently adding the cutter has been two weapons that I really like relying on now as well, just making sure that I’m not getting too predictable by throwing too many fastballs to hitters.”

Five more updates on Rockies prospects

While Cole Carrigg is one of the hottest hitters in the minors, Charlie Condon is knocking on the door of his debut, and Zac Veen waits for another shot in the bigs, here are five other  to watch entering the heart of the season.

SS Ethan Holliday

The No. 1-ranked Rockies prospect, drafted fourth overall last year, scuffled in his debut last season with Fresno. He’s back in High-A in 2026, and hitting better: .258 with six homers through 26 games. He still needs to work on striking out less, but he projects to be in Spokane by season’s end.

2B/CF Roldy Brito

Brito signed with the Rockies in 2024 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, was the Arizona Complex League MVP in ’25 and then tore up Fresno after getting called up. Back in Fresno in ’26, the switch-hitter continues to hit for average (.315) and show off plus-speed.

RHP Brody Brecht

Colorado’s No. 38 overall pick in 2024 out of Iowa, developing command has been a focal point over his first two pro seasons. At 6-foot-4, Brecht sits around 96 with his fastball and can touch triple-digits, with a nice slider to match. He has a 4.91 ERA in six starts this season for Spokane.

OF Sterlin Thompson

One of two minor-league outfielders on along with Veen, Thompson has played right and left in Triple-A this year. The lefty’s hitting .336 with a .473 on-base percentage in 33 games; given left fielder Jordan Beck’s offensive struggles, Thompson’s debut could be imminent.

LHP Konner Eaton

The 6-foot-3 southpaw turned a lot of heads with his performance last year in Spokane, when he posted a 3.56 ERA in 23 starts before a late-season call-up to Hartford. He came back down to earth there, with a 5.30 ERA in four starts, but has a 3.00 ERA in six starts so far for the Goats in ’26. ]]> 7755819 2026-05-12T15:56:41+00:00 2026-05-12T16:10:58+00:00 /2026/05/11/rockies-prospect-cole-carrigg-mlb/ Mon, 11 May 2026 11:45:42 +0000 /?p=7753079 Cole Carrigg is the Rockies’ AI prospect. Athletic and intriguing.

During spring training, he was a mesmerizing player who immediately grabbed my attention. I’m not an expert on the intricacies of his swing path or any deficiencies in his approach at the plate. But I did see a player with incredible skills — speed, strong arm, power — and the ability to put the ball in play and make things happen.

Manager Warren Schaeffer, who covets those types of players, confirmed my observations.

“I love the way Cole plays the game,” Schaeffer told me. “He’s uber-athletic. Cole plays with a high motor and brings a certain edge to his game that’s infectious. He has an extremely bright future.”

The switch-hitting Carrigg, ranked as is raking for Triple-A Albuquerque. Still, his big-league debut doesn’t appear imminent, even though Rockies outfielders Jordan Beck and Brenton Doyle have struggled so far this season.

The Rockies brass are weighing his 33 games for the Isotopes, but are also aware of his struggles last season at Double-A Hartford.

Here’s what Paul DePodesta, Colorado president of baseball operations, said earlier this month: “We want to call players up when they are banging down the door, where we have to make room for them because they’re just playing so well and that they have the underlying foundation in place to be successful up here — not just to survive, but to be successful.”

But if Carrigg isn’t banging down the door just yet, he’s certainly knocking on it. Loudly.

The Isotopes center fielder/shortstop was named the Pacific Coast League player of the week for April 27-May 3. In six games, Carrigg went 14 for 24 with two doubles, a triple, a homer, eight RBIs and four stolen bases. Overall, he entered the weekend hitting .369 with two homers, 27 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.

“I feel like my swing is in a great spot and I can put the bat on the ball again,” Carrigg said during a phone interview from Sugarland, Texas, where the Isotopes were playing the Space Cowboys. “That’s something I kind of lost in Double-A (Hartford) last year. I kind of got into some bad habits.

“Those things are kind of hard to get out of sometimes when your muscle memory takes over, and you’re doing something you don’t want to do. So I got a much-needed reset in the offseason and got back to feeling good about my swing.”

At Hartford, Carrigg slashed .237/.316/.394 with a 27% strikeout rate vs. an 8% walk rate. Those were disappointing numbers. But his athleticism shone bright. He stole 46 bases in 56 attempts, and he had a remarkable 18 outfield assists.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Carrigg, selected by Colorado with the 65th overall pick of the 2023 draft out of San Diego State, has one of the strongest arms in minor league baseball. At the ’23 draft combine, he from the outfield.

Carrigg, 24, is self-confident, but not cocky. He realizes what he brings to a ballclub.

“I feel like I have the type of energy that can help spark a team and help create things when things aren’t happening,” he said. “I play with my hair on fire, no matter the situation. I am always going to give it my all. I think that’s a great thing to have, and it’s good for a ballclub.”

Naturally, Carrigg is “itching” to get called up to the Rockies, but he’s doing his best to stay grounded.

“That’s always a tough thing to look at (objectively) because I’ve been itchy my whole life to play in the big leagues,” he said. “Once I realized that was an attainable goal, I wanted it really bad. But as I’ve gone about my days in pro ball, I’ve learned not to GM. That’s a game you will never win. I’m trying my best just to be where my feet are, so to speak.”

After getting bludgeoned by Kyle Schwarber and shut down by ace lefty Cristopher Sanchez in a 6-0 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday, the Rockies are 16-25 with one-quarter of the season in the books.

Schwarber hit solo home runs in the first and second innings off right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who gave up five runs on seven hits over five innings. Sanchez dominated Colorado for seven innings, giving up six hits, striking out seven, and walking none. He reduced his ERA to 2.11.

It was a step back for Colorado, but a week ago, Paul DePodesta, president of baseball operations, said, “We’re certainly encouraged by a lot of what����ap going on, but at the same time, far from satisfied.”

Here’s a look at the state of the Rockies at the quarter pole:

• On pace: The Rockies’ .390 winning percentage has them pointed toward a 63-99 record. That would be a 20-game improvement over their 119-loss season in 2025 and enable them to avoid the infamy of being the first team since the 1961-64 Washington Senators to post four consecutive 100-loss seasons.

• White Sox meter: Chicago’s Southsiders lost a major league record 121 games in 2024. At the quarter pole last year, they were a miserable 12-29, but they eventually finished with a 60-102 record. That was a 19-game improvement.

• Road conditions: Colorado was laughably bad on the road last season, going 18-63, averaging just 2.81 runs per game, and getting outscored by 213 runs. The ’26 Rockies no longer look like automatic roadkill. They are 8-14 away from Coors Field but 6-4 over their last 10 games. They are averaging 3.95 runs per game on the road.

• Rotation in motion: The ’25 Rockies finished with a starters ERA of 6.65, the worst in the majors since ERA became an official statistic in 1913. This season’s starters own a 5.27 ERA, still the worst in the majors, but an improvement. Toss out the innings thrown by “openers” and the starters’ ERA is 5.11.

• Ace in the making? Right-hander Chase Dollander, who has the pure best stuff on the staff, is exponentially better this season than last — 3.35 ERA vs. 6.98 ERA as a rookie. On Friday, he held the Phillies to two runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, but walked five in the Rockies’ wild, 9-7, 11-inning victory. Dollander’s command was not sharp, but he didn’t implode as he might have last season.

“Every outing is different, for everybody,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer told MLB.com. “Today, for Chase, he had to battle command issues, but his stuff is so good that he was able to stay in it. He competed, and he kept grinding without his best command.”

Trade material: Except for Dollander, Colorado’s four other starters are all veterans in the final year of their contracts. That makes them possible trade candidates at the Aug. 3 deadline, if not before.

However, after a strong start to the season, the starters are beginning to fade. Lefty Kyle Freeland (1-4, 6.00 ERA) has a vesting option worth $17 million for 2027, but he needs to pitch 170 innings to activate that option, and it’s doubtful he will. There is a $9 million team option for right-hander Michael Lorenzen, but considering that he is 2-4 with a 6.92 ERA and a 3.56 batting average against, it’s doubtful the Rockies would pick up his option. But are either Lorenzen or Freeland tradeable?

That leaves lefty Jose Quintana (1-2, 3.90 ERA) and Sugano (3-3, 4.07 ERA) as the most attractive trade pieces. And throw in reliever Antonio Senzatela (2-0, 1.11 ERA), too, because he’s also in the final year of his contract.

Somehow, someway, the Rockies are going to have to restock their pitching cupboard for next season and beyond. It’s a predicament that DePodesta and company will have to solve.

Men of mystery: The hope was that this would be corner outfielder Jordan Beck’s breakout season, and that centerfielder Brenton Doyle and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar would bounce back. It’s early, but it’s not happening.

After going 1 for 3 on Sunday, Beck is hitting .169 with a .490 OPS. Doyle (.196, .529, 33.6% strikeout rate) is showing signs of rebounding, as is Tovar (.197, .277, 28.6%), who had two singles on Sunday. Still, the trio is underperforming. Beck and Doyle are often supplanted in the lineup by Mickey Moniak and newcomers Troy Johnston and Jake McCarthy.

He’s arbitration-eligible for one more season, leading to plenty of internet trade speculation. But if the Rockies don’t believe their outfield prospects are ready to carry the load, signing Moniak to a reasonable contract extension makes sense. He’s making $4 million this season.

First addition: Utility infielders Edouard Julien and Willi Castro, and outfielders Johnston and McCarthy have all contributed to Colorado’s improvement. But it’s rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield who looks like part of the Rockies’ foundation for the future.

He’s slashing .272/.337/.429 with five home runs and is tied with Moniak for the team lead with 21 RBIs. Among all qualified rookies, he is tied for first in games played (40), second in hits (40), fifth in RBIs (21), and eighth in batting average. He’s also a terrific fielder.

Rumfield is everything the Rockies hoped Michael Toglia would be.

Pitching probables

Monday: Off day
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-4, 6.92 ERA) at Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (5-2, 2.36 ERA), 4:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (1-2, 3.90) at Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (4-1, 2.87 ERA), 4:40 p.m.
Thursday: RHP Chase Dollander (3-2, 3.35) at Pirates RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3, 4.50 ERA), 10:35 a.m.

TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

The Rockies blew leads of 6-0 and 7-2, but rallied to beat the Phillies 9-7 in 11 innings on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. The big hits came from pinch-hitter Troy Johnston, who hit a double to right to score ghost runner Willi Castro, and Jake McCarthy, who drove in Johnston with a single to center.

Right-handed reliever Juan Mejia gave up an infield single to Justin Crawford in the bottom of the frame, but he handled the top of the Phillies’ order. Mejia got Trea Turner to fly out to right, struck out dangerous slugger Kyle Schwarber, and induced Bryce Harper to ground out to second baseman Edouard Julien to secure his second save of the season.

Key moments: Colorado scored five runs on five hits in the fourth. The first seven hitters reached base, chasing left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo from the game. Hunter Goodman’s two-run home run and third baseman Kyle Karros’ two-run double were the key hits of the inning.

The Phillies trailed 7-2 after Rockies’ right fielder Tyler Freeman hit a solo blast in the seventh inning, but the Phillies rallied for five runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game. Philly’s big hits were a two-run double by Bryson Stott and a two-run homer off, both off Rockies right-hander Jimmy Herget.

Who’s hot: Goodman went 4 for 5 and hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Luzardo. It was Goodman’s 10th home run.

Second baseman Willi Castro has shaken off a slow start, increasing his average to .257. He had a single and a stolen base in the second, and put down a perfect bunt single in the fourth.

McCarthy is slashing .367/.434/.671 over his last 21 games since April 5. He’s reached base safely in 19 of his 20 games with five doubles, two triples, and two home runs.

Who’s not: Jordan Beck, who started in left field and led off, went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. He drew a walk to open the game and came around to score. But Beck is hitting just .164 with a .489 OPS.

Worth noting: Manager Warren Schaeffer chose not to use an opener for right-hander Chase Dollander, who pitched an uneven but effective 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander gave up two runs on just three hits — including a leadoff home run in the sixth by Schwarber — and struck out five, but also walked five. Dollander improved to 4-2 and trimmed his ERA to 3.35.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-3, 5.04 ERA) at Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.06), 4:05 p.m.
Sunday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (3-2, 3.41) at Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (3-2, 2.42), 4:05 p.m.
Monday: Off day.

Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano pitched five innings of no-hit ball on Monday afternoon at Coors Field, but the Mets solved him in the sixth inning and came away with a 4-2 victory.

The Rockies were in a great place when they swept the Mets in three games in Queens late last month, but now they are in a hard place after losing five straight games, including four in a row at home.

The Rockies have been outscored 32-15 on their current homestand, and with a 14-22 record, they are eight games below .500 for the first time this season.

On Monday, the Rockies’ fate changed as quickly as Colorado’s fickle May weather. Sugano was in nearly total control for the first five innings. He did issue a leadoff walk to Carson Benge in the third, but Benge was quickly erased when Francisco Alvarez grounded into a double play.

“I thought ‘Tomo’ was fantastic today,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He was super efficient, and it’s what he’s been doing all year.”

But New York solved Sugano in a four-run sixth inning that decided the ballgame. Benge led off with a no-doubt, 436-foot homer to right to make it 1-0. Back-to-back doubles by Alvarez and Luis Torrens made it 2-0. Juan Soto coaxed a walk out of Sugano, and Mark Vientos ripped a two-run single off Jaden Hill to make it 4-0.

“In the sixth inning, I just left up a couple of pitches, and I missed locations,” Sugano said, using Yuto Sakurai as his interpreter. “Other than that, I pitched pretty good.”

Sugano is now 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA. His performance on Monday was Colorado’s longest no-hit bid at Coors Field since Kyle Freeland’s 5 1/3 no-hit innings on June 23, 2024, vs. Washington.

Colorado actually out-hit the Mets, 5-4, but didn’t score a run until they finally busted through against lefty David Peterson, making his third relief appearance of the season. The Denver native and Regis Jesuit High School graduate dominated Colorado for his first three innings and struck out five of six hitters he faced in the fifth and sixth innings.

The Rockies finally got on the scoreboard with two runs in the seventh, combining Willi Castro’s two-out single, an RBI triple into the right-field corner by Jordan Beck, and a run-scoring single by Kyle Karros.

Pitching probables

Tuesday: Mets RHP Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.52 ERA) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-3, 6.09), 6:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Mets RHP Christian Scott (0-0, 4.26) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (1-2, 4.07), 1:10 p.m.
Thursday: Off day

TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.01 FM

“We’re certainly encouraged by a lot of what’s going on, but at the same time, far from satisfied,” the president of baseball operations said Sunday morning during a Q&A with the media. “I think there are a lot of things we know we can do better, and that we’re going to work to continue to get better. But, but all in all, I think sort of a positive first month.”

DePodesta, hired last November in the wake of Colorado’s 119-loss season, faced a major reconstruction project, not just with the roster but with the front office and coaching staff.

After getting swept by the Braves at Coors Field over the weekend, the Rockies were 14-21 entering Monday’s game against the Mets. Not great, certainly, but significantly better than last season when they were 6-29 after 35 games.

The following are highlights from DePodesta’s session with the Rockies media:

Assessment of the three veteran free-agent pitchers

Colorado signed right-handers Tomoyuki Sugano and Michael Lorenzen, and lefty Jose Quintana for a combined $18.85 million to stabilize a rotation that posted a 6.65 ERA last season, the worst since ERA became an official statistic in 1913. Entering Monday’s game, Colorado starters had a 4.81 ERA, though over the last 15 games, it was 3.97.

“I think by and large, probably the most consistent thing over the first month has been our pitching,” DePodesta said. “I mean, our pitching is giving us a chance to win virtually every night. Every team will have a bad start here and there, but for the most part, they’re giving us a chance to win. And I think those three guys have been central to that.”

Using an ‘opener’ in the first inning ahead of Dollander

Right-hander Chase Dollander is off to an excellent start, despite his hiccup on Saturday night in Colorado’s 9-1 loss to Atlanta. After eight games, including one official start, Dollander is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA. He’s struck out 42, walked just 12, and has a 1.15 WHIP.

“It’s actually about trying to get him as much length as possible in a game,” DePodesta said. “So it’s not so much about having him avoid certain hitters, because he’s been pretty good against the top of the lineup. We think he certainly has stuff that will play the third time through a lineup.

“But I think at least initially, this was about trying to, sort of, lengthen him out as much as we possibly could.”

Left-hander Brennan Bernardino started ahead of Dollander in Saturday’s game and gave up hits to the first three Atlanta batters, including Drake Baldwin’s two-run homer. It’s an extremely small sample size, but openers have a combined 10.80 ERA (5.0 innings pitched, six earned runs), and Colorado’s record when they used an opener is 1-5.

Faith in slumping outfielders Beck and Doyle

Jordan Beck entered Monday’s game hitting .167 with a .469 OPS and one home run. Brenton Doyle was hitting .213 with a .567 OPS and one homer.

“First of all, we don’t want to be reactionary,” DePodesta said. “We also don’t want our players thinking that, ‘Boy, if they 0 for 4 tonight, they’re not in the lineup tomorrow.’ Or worse, they’re going to Triple-A tomorrow, right? Or if they give up a run, or something like that. We believe in these guys. We also believe in a lot of the guys we have in Triple-A right now, but we want to give them ample opportunity to play.”

The chance of calling up prospects Condon and Carrigg 

Cole Carrigg, who plays both infield and outfield, was named the Pacific Coast League player of the week on Monday after going 9 for 13 with two doubles, one triple, one homer, and seven RBIs over three games. He’s riding a PCL-best 13-game hitting streak, during which he slashed .521/.574/.729 with three doubles, two triples, one home run, 14 RBIs, and nine stolen bases.

After a monster start, Charlie Condon has cooled off. He hit four home runs in his first 10 games, but none since. Through April 17, he posted a line of .339/.456/.589, but now he’s slashing .250/.403/.406.

“Something we talked about all winter was sort of creating enough competition and depth with our big-league roster that we never want to call a player up just because we didn’t have anybody else,” DePodesta said. “We want to call players up when they are banging down the door, where we have to make room for them because they’re just playing so well, and they have the underlying foundation in place to be successful up here. Not just to survive, but to be successful.”

Do the Rockies have enough power in the lineup?

Led by red-hot Mickey Moniak’s 11 home runs to go with his .327 average, and catcher Hunter Goodman’s nine homers, the Rockies had hit 35 homers entering Monday’s play, tied with the Tigers and Phillies for 17th-most in the majors.

Asked if the Rockies have enough power in-house now, or need to develop sluggers over the next few seasons, DePodesta answered, “I think probably a combination of two. I think we’ll hit for more power as the year goes on. You look at some of our guys right now, who traditionally hit 15- 20-plus homers, and they have one right now.

“So I’m confident those guys will end up hitting for more power as the year goes on. At the same time, Mickey and ‘Goody’ both have (hit homers). And Mickey missed the first week (with a finger), so I think, as a team, we feel like we have enough.”

Veen, Colorado’s No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 draft, hit just .118 in that stint while striking out at a 37.8% clip. The outfielder’s at-bats were largely undisciplined, and judging by the entirety of his turbulent 2025 season, Veen clearly lacked the off-field maturity to be ready for his call-up.

Enter Paul DePodesta, the Rockies’ first-year president of baseball operations, and his belief that even the organization’s most prized minor leaguers needed more seasoning before getting a chance in LoDo.

“One of the things we really did purposely this winter was to try to help stabilize the big-league team,” DePodesta said. “The ancillary benefit of that was, and we’ve talked about this extensively (since I was hired), that it was going to force our young players to really earn their spot, to force their way onto the team, and not sort of skip part of what we think is really foundational experience at both Double-A and Triple-A.

“Sometimes players that are extremely talented will show up in the big leagues just a little too quickly.”

That philosophy is being exercised in real time this season with Veen as well as first baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon. Both players opened the season with Triple-A Albuquerque, and the Rockies seem in no rush to get Veen back up to the majors or to debut Condon, the club’s No. 3 overall pick in ’24.

Veen’s newfound sobriety

For , his biggest hurdle back to the bigs — a substance abuse issue — is now out of the way after the 24-year-old got sober in the offseason.

As Veen first detailed during spring training the outfielder was smoking marijuana every day last season and drinking excessively, too. Veen further explained those issues in an interview this week with The Denver Post, noting he got in trouble with the organization last season after getting caught smoking marijuana during a game at Isotopes Park.

“There where times last year where I had the world in the palm of my hand, or so it seemed, and I wasn’t feeling as fulfilled as I am since I stopped doing all that stuff,” Veen said. “I’m more fulfilled now, even if baseball or other things aren’t going my way, than if I was with the world seemingly in the palm of my hand when I was drinking and smoking.”

Veen, who says substance abuse issues are prevalent in his family, understands addiction recovery is not a straight line.

He’s been intentional with his actions to maintain sobriety this season, including attending Bible studies, recovery groups in Albuquerque and consistent calls with his pastor from his church back in his home state of Florida. Veen also leaned heavily for guidance on his former high school and club coach, Johnny Goodrich, whom Veen called “the closest thing to a father figure I have in my life,” considering the outfielder has not seen his biological father since the age of 15.

“I have gone to a few random (recovery) meetings since I’ve been in Arizona or I’ve been here (in Albuquerque),” Veen said. “And that’s kind of how I stay on that (sobriety). I just really appreciate being around people who want to better themselves and be the best they can be, which is what I want for myself.”

On the field, Veen is hitting .258 with two homers through 25 games. He’s played all three outfield spots this season, and DePodesta believes that finding the balance between being a free swinger and being selective when the situation or count calls for it will help Veen take the next step offensively.

“If he can rein in that (aggression) in 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. “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.”

Veen, who was limited to just 46 games in 2023 and 65 games in ’24 due to injuries, says his goal is to stay on the field all season.

“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.”

Condon stacking ‘healthy reps’

While Veen bides his time, fans have been clamoring for the arrival of , who followed up a torrid spring training with a solid start to the season in Triple-A.

The 23-year-old is batting .269 with four homers through his first 21 games, but DePodesta says the debut of Colorado’s behind shortstop Ethan Holliday (who is currently in Low-A) likely isn’t imminent.

“It’s hard for any of us to say exactly what that time is or how long that takes, but we all want to make sure that he has that (base),” DePodesta said. “And I think he’s certainly showing signs of that. He’s doing all the right things. Now it’s just a matter of being able to do that longer and get even more experience under his belt so he feels really, really good about it before he gets a chance to come up to Coors Field. Hopefully, at that point, he never goes back.”

After struggling in his debut pro season in 2024, where Condon hit .180 with one homer in 24 games while dealing with a finger injury, he fractured his wrist at the start of the ’25 campaign. So ’26 has been his first fully healthy season as a pro, which Condon is relishing as he waits for the call that’s been expected since the day he got drafted.

“It’s been nice to be able to stack healthy reps,” Condon said. “There’s something to be said for being able to be healthy for an extended period of time and really finding a groove. And so that’s been refreshing for sure.

“Whenever that time comes (for my debut), I will 100% be ready.”

Condon, who led the NCAA with a BBCOR-era record 37 homers has yet to find consistent power in the minors. He has 19 homers in 145 games, and while DePodesta lauded Condon’s “mature approach” at the plate, Condon acknowledged he’s still searching for the right combination of average and power.

“For me, it’s really about blending the hit tool and the power tool,” Condon said. “I don’t want to be a guy that’s just all one or the other. I want to be a guy that handles the bat well but also runs a fair amount of balls out of the yard every year.”

In the field, Condon has split his time this season between first base and right field. He also played third base in college and briefly in the minors, but that position seems to be tabled for now.

“It comes pretty easy to him in the outfield — he feels comfortable there, he tracks the ball well,” DePodesta said. “He’s working hard in pregame in terms of getting even better jumps and covering more ground. But given his athleticism and his length (at 6-foot-5), he’s going to get some balls both down the line and in the gap. He’s got a chance to be a pretty good corner outfielder.”

Veen, Condon fit in 2026

With the Rockies outperforming critics’ expectations through the first month-plus of 2026 — Colorado is 14-18, matching the win total the club didn’t get to until June 15 of last year’s disastrous 119-loss season — the question becomes of how Veen and Condon could fit into the big-league roster.

Veen is on but Condon is not, so the latter would require designating someone for assignment. Triple-A outfielder is also on the 40-man roster, and given he’s currently hitting .308 with a .438 on-base percentage, he very well might get the call before Veen or Condon.

There could be a performance-based opening for one of those players sometime in the near future if current trends hold. In the outfield, Troy Johnston (who also plays first base) and Mickey Moniak have been two of the strengths of the lineup so far. But left fielder Jordan Beck (hitting .153 with one homer) and center fielder Brenton Doyle (hitting .220 with one homer) are struggling.

Both Beck and Doyle have options, though it’s unlikely Colorado would send Doyle down to Triple-A, given the importance of his two-time Gold Glove Award defense in the wide Coors Field outfield. DePodesta gave a vote of confidence to both players, especially considering the platooning that has been going on in the outfield with Johnston, Jake McCarthy and Tyler Freeman also seeing time out there.

Meanwhile, at first base, T.J. Rumfield is hitting .264 with three homers and is playing well enough to warrant an extended opportunity to keep that job for the time being. Rumfield tore up spring training to earn the job after being acquired via a January trade with the Yankees for reliever Angel Chivilli.

Condon, like Veen, isn’t putting extra weight on himself to force the Rockies’ hand for a call-up.

“This game is hard enough by itself, and it becomes even harder when you start putting external pressure like that on yourself,” Condon said. “So for me it’s about focusing on the day-to-day. Obviously (debuting this season) is a goal of mine. That’s something I’m working very hard for. But will I be upset and disappointed in myself if that doesn’t happen? Yeah, sure, probably a little bit. But it’s not something that I can focus too much on because so much of that is out of my control.”