Rockies’ Dugan Darnell’s Upcoming Hip Surgery Puts Progress on Hold

The Colorado Rockies will get their promising rookie reliever Dugan Darnell back, but not as quickly as they would like.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Dugan Darnell (52) pitches in the sixth inning of the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies at Chase Field. / Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

The promising rookie season of Colorado Rockies reliever Dugan Darnell will end with him undergoing surgery that will cost him part of the 2026 season.

The Rockies had already put Darnell on their 60-day injured list due to a hip injury. But, on Friday, the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders (subscription required) reported that Darnell will undergo surgery for a torn left hip labrum and that recovery will cost him eight months. The surgery won’t take place until late September. While a firm diagnosis is good news, it also means that Darnell likely won’t be ready to take the field until at least June, given the timetable.

For a rookie, that’s precious time missed. For Darnell, who finally got his chance earlier this season to pitch in the Majors, it’s bad timing.

Dugan Darnell’s Rookie Season

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Darnell was promoted to the Majors on Aug. 1, after the Rockies made a flurry of trade moves at the deadline. Those included moving reliever Jake Bird to the New York Yankees for two prospects, including highly regarded second baseman Roc Riggio.

The right-hander claimed the victory in his Major League debut, as he pitched two spotless innings, giving up just one hit and striking out one. In nine games, he proved to be a reliable option out of the bullpen, as he was 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 11.2 innings. He struck out five and walked seven in 11.2 innings. He did give up five earned runs in those outings, but never more than one run in any game.

His last appearance was on Aug. 21 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In that game he took a line drive off his hip from the Dodgers’ Alex Call and left the game. But, before that, interim manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters that Darnell was dealing with hip soreness. The Rockies moved him to the 15-day IL on Aug. 22 and then to the 60-day IL on Aug. 24, effectively ending his season.

Dugan Darnell’s Career

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Darnell got to the Majors the hard way. The Northville, Mich., native went to Division III Adrian College and was an undrafted free agent who played two years of independent baseball before he joined a Major League organization.

He began his minor league career in 2021 after he signed with Colorado and steadily worked his way through the system. Even though he was lowly regarded coming out of college, he reached Triple-A Albuquerque by 2023 and pitched most of the 2024 season with the Isotopes but struggled to a 7.14 ERA in 40 games.

He showed great improvement this season before he was promoted to the Rockies. He pitched in 35 games and had a 5-2 record and a 3.52 ERA, with 63 strikeouts and 19 walks in 53.2 innings.

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