Rockies Announce Opening Day Rotation, Key Decision on Fifth Starter

The Colorado Rockies didn’t have any question marks in the starting rotation, but there was one significant question in the fifth spot.

The Rockies answered that question for opening day.

Ryan Feltner will be the fifth starter in the rotation for opening day, reported MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. Manager Warren Schaeffer made the announcement in advance of Colorado’s spring training game on Sunday.

Colorado has two more spring training games on Monday and Tuesday against Detroit before heading east to take on Miami on opening day on Friday.

Kyle Freeland will take that start, as previously announced. The rest of the rotation will include right-handers Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Feltner.

Colorado’s Starting Rotation

This means Lorenzen will take Game 2 in Miami on Saturday and Quintana will take the finale on Sunday. From there, Colorado heads to Toronto to take on the defending American League champion Blue Jays. Sugano will take the ball in the opener on Monday, March 30, followed by Feltner that Tuesday. Freeland will take the ball on normal rest in the finale on that Wednesday, which is April 1.

For now, Schaeffer said, Chase Dollaner will be in the bullpen. The rest of the relief corps will be announced on Monday.

Dollander was the Rockies’ first-round pick in 2023 out of Tennessee. He was rushed to the Majors last season and endured a rough rookie season. He went 2-12 with a 6.52 ERA in 21 starts. He struck out 82 and walked 49 in 98 innings. He was on the injured list twice, once with right forearm tightness and then with a right patellar tendon strain that ended his season.

His spring training has been rough. He is 1-1 with a 6.43 ERA in five games (four starts) with 10 strikeouts and seven walks in 14 innings. He was sharp early, but he’s allowed eight earned runs in his last two appearances.

Feltner has more experience. He was Colorado’s fourth-round pick in 2018 out of Ohio State. The right-hander broke into the Majors in 2021 and last season he only pitched in six games, as he went 0-2 with a 4.75 ERA. He made the opening day roster but went on the injured list after a month with back spasms. As he was set to return, he has shoulder inflammation in July that ended his season.

Statistically, he hasn’t been better than Dollander. He is 0-2 with a 10.03 ERA in five games (two starts) this spring. He has 14 strikeouts and 10 walks in 11.2 innings as batters are hitting .304 against him.