Chase Dollander's Elbow Is Now Colorado's Biggest Problem

After starting the season strong, the Colorado Rockies have been on a downward spiral and today’s news sure didn’t help that. The organization made four roster moves on Friday that are a telling story about where this franchise currently sits.

Their most important pitcher is now hurt, the rotation seems to be in crisis, and two well-deserving prospects are getting a chance to see MLB playing time, possibly a little earlier than expected.

The most significant news, and some that overshadows everything else the team is dealing with, is Chase Dollander being placed on the 15-day IL with a right elbow strain.

Dollander’s Injury Changes Everything

For everyone watching, it seemed the writing was on the wall on Thursday. Dollander gave up a walk in the second inning in Pittsburgh and was then seen shaking his arm out. An immediate mound visit occurred and he was taken out of the game.

Schaeffer’s single-word answer of “maybe” when asked if Dollander’s velocity was down gave a good indication of how everyone was feeling at the moment. He was cautious throughout his whole answer, stating that they would roll with it now and then check back.

Well the news came on Friday. The diagnosis is a right elbow strain. Dollander was placed on the 15-day IL and won’t be eligible to return until at least May 30. With his talent level and a suspected elbow injury, Colorado likely won’t rush his return, no matter how much they need him.

Through April, Dollander was elite. He posted a 1.29 ERA across 28 innings with 34 strikeouts and a 0.89 WHIP. In the 10-day span of April 16 to April 26, the superstar produced 18.1 scoreless innings with 25 strikeouts and a seven-inning shutout in New York.

Then May arrived. The Braves shelled him for six runs on May 2. Pittsburgh brought more bad news. On May 14, he only lasted one inning as he was pulled early in the second. That game gave up five hits, three runs, zero strikeouts, and only 17 of 28 pitches were strikes. Something was clearly wrong.

In Dollander’s rookie season, he hit the IL twice, once with right forearm inflammation and another time with left patella tendon strain. The injury history coupled with today’s news is disturbing for the Rockies.

This guy is needed, he’s not just the present but also the future for the team. Hopefully, this will be a short stint on the IL. Until a full diagnosis is released, Colorado fans are right to be nervous about this situation.

Two Callups Finding Debut on MLB Field

The Colorado Rockies announced today the following transactions:

-Placed INF/OF Tyler Freeman on the paternity list.
-Placed RHP Chase Dollander on the 15-day injured list (right elbow strain).
-Recalled OF Sterlin Thompson from Triple-A Albuquerque.
-Recalled LHP Sammy Peralta…
— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) May 15, 2026

One of the four roster moves Colorado made included Sterlin Thompson. He is a Longmont, Colorado, native who will now make his major league debut at Coors Field in his home state for a team he likely watched growing up.

Thompson was the 31st overall pick in the 2022 draft and he has earned this moment in his career. Through 36 games at Triple-A Albuquerque in the 2026 season, Thompson is slashing .344/.491/.496 with a .987 OPS. He has posted four home runs, 27 RBI and eight stolen bases.

His most impressive numbers are in the strikeout versus walks. The youngster has 30 walks to just 28 strikeouts this year. For his age, he is showing great maturity at the plate.

Thompson was called up to replace Tyler Freeman, who was put on the paternity list and will be back within days, but this is the chance Thompson has waited for his whole life, and he is ready.

Peralta Offers Depth

Left-hander Sammy Peralta was chosen to be called up to fill Dollander’s rotation spot. In his 13 appearances in Albuquerque, he is 5-1 with a 3.79 ERA across 19 innings of work. He has allowed zero home runs, five walks and 14 strikeouts.

Warren Schaeffer will likely use Peralta as a multi-inning arm rather than a traditional starter, but time will tell there. He has shown he can offer length on the mound and Colorado certainly needs that right now.

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