Jeff Criswell Shifted to 60-Day IL as Rockies Clear Roster Spot for New Arm

The Colorado Rockies made a generally procedural move when putting Jeff Criswell on the IL, but it also signal more about his recovery timeline.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Jeff Criswell / Allan Henry-Imagn Images

As the Colorado Rockies are working toward finalizing their one-year agreement with veteran left-handed pitcher Jose Quintana, a corresponding move had to follow.

Right-handed reliever Jeff Criswell was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to make room for Quintana on the roster.

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On the surface, the decision is certainly just procedural, but it also sends some signals about Criswell. The team needed a spot on the 40-man roster to officially place their new find in Quintana on the team, but beyond the obvious, it was also strategic. The move provided some clarity on Criswell’s status as the new season approaches.

A Long Lost 2025 Season

Rockies pitcher Jeff Criswell / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Criswell missed the entire dismal 119-loss 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The 26-year-old right-hander was placed on the injured list early in 2025 and never returned to the field.

Given that Criswell had the surgery in March of 2025, it was expected that he would not be able to return to action until well into the 2026 season. With the addition of Quintana, it took some pressure off the team to try to get Criswell back on the mound.

Before the injury, Criswell was showing some flashes of potential as a bullpen arm capable of generating some strikeouts with his fastball-slider mix.

In 2024, Criswell appeared in just 28 games for Colorado. He posted a 4.12 ERA across 39.1 innings while striking out 42 batters. His 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings started to hint at legitimate swing-and-miss ability.

He also held opponents to a .228 batting average, over the admittedly small sampling. His fastball-slider combo could continue to prove weak contact when located effectively.

The unfortunate timing of his Tommy John surgery sidelined his growth and success trajectory.

What the 60-Day IL Move Means

By moving Criswell to the 60-day IL now, Colorado is admiting that he won’t be ready for Opening Day, and likely won’t be ready any time in the early months of 2026. This shouldn’t be surprising given the normal 12-18 month recovery timeline.

The move simply aligns with the typical Tommy John recovery timelines. This isn’t necessarily a setback, and shouldn’t be seen as such. It is a simple reflection of typical rehab progression.

It may also signal that the Rockies were willing to make some moves to improve the team right away, rather than just stand by and wait for him to recover, as they have done in the past.

Where Criswell Fits Going Forward

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jeff Criswell / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Assuming all positive indications of recovery for Criswell, he will likely start back with a minor league rehab assignment sometime midseason and then rejoin the Colorado team in the second half of the season. Hopefully, he can use 2026 to build his confidence, then enter 2027 fully healthy and ready for high-leverage work.

Colorado’s bullpen has been one of the league’s most volatile and, truthfully, unsuccessful units in all of the MLB over recent seasons. Criswell’s strikeout rate and developing command profile made him a potential stand-out player in that group until the unfortunate injury occurred.

A Strategic Bigger Picture

The roster move itself is strategic. Rather than designate a player for assignment, the Rockies are placing Criswell on the 60-day IL, proving they believe in him and want to give him the time to progress behind the scenes.

Criswell has the ability to quietly become one of Colorado’s more important bullpen reinforcements later in the year if his skills can come back to pre-surgery levels.

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