Rockies Reinstate Outfielder From IL Ahead of Home Debut

From the injury list to reinstatement, the Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak will be in the lineup today against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Rockies announced today that they have reinstated OF Mickey Moniak from the 10-day injured list.
— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) April 3, 2026

It’s going to be a great day at Coors Field as the Rockies will play their first home game of the season. Fans will hopefully get to see the positives from all the offseason moves. Getting Moniak back in the lineup is a great start.

Moniak Will Bat Third in the Lineup

Colorado Rockies right fielder Mickey Moniak | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

“Reinstated.” It’s one of the players' favorite words to hear because they want nothing more than a chance to shine on the field. The 27-year-old is coming back at the right time. He will get some good at-bats hitting at No. 3, and he will play right field.

Home Opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. First pitch at 2:10 pm.

RHP Michael Lorenzen vs. RHP Aaron Nola

OF Mickey Moniak has been reinstated from the 10-day IL. He’ll play right field and bat third. pic.twitter.com/K1Fpx3AnXX
— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) April 3, 2026

Moniak is recuperating from a right ring finger sprain he sustained during an exhibition game while diving into first base. The Rockies didn’t feel like putting him as a designated hitter. It will be a good test for Moniak to see how he responds when he swings the bat and when he throws the ball.

Moniak is in his second season with Colorado. It’s his third team in his seventh big league season. He signed a one-year, $4 million contract, avoiding arbitration. He must make this one-year contract count.

In 2025, Moniak slashed .270/.306/.518 and a .824 OPS with 24 home runs, 68 RBIs, 20 doubles, 8 triples, and 117 hits. All of his stats, except the doubles category, are his career highs. Moniak has improved his performance at the plate, and the Rockies are expecting better results this season.

He’s a former No. 1 pick in the MLB draft. There’s so much potential for him to be better. As good as his offense was last season, there are still cracks in his defense. Moniak recorded -23 defensive runs saved (DRS), which is the worst in MLB. There’s a reason why the designated hitter is also the second option.

For this season, the Rockies will most likely flirt with balancing Moniak and Tyler Freeman for the designated hitter position.

Aaron Nola will be the starter for the Phillies in today's game. Moniak usually does well against right-handed pitchers compared to left-handed pitchers. In addition, there’s familiarity in the matchup, since Nola and Moniak were teammates when Moniak was in Philadelphia.

The Rockies are coming off a hard-fought series against the Toronto Blue Jays. They won their first series of the season by taking two out of three in Toronto. The Rockies are looking to win another series against their division rival.

First pitch starts at 2:10 pm ET.