Rain Delays Rockies-Royals Series Opener at Coors Field

The Colorado Rockies had hoped to start their first game of their three-game series with the Kansas City Royals on time.

Colorado Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Rockies were out to start their three-game series with the Kansas City Royals with a victory on Friday nights. Mother Nature had other ideas.

The Rockies announced when first pitch was scheduled for 6:40 pm mountain time that the game would be delayed due to rain in the Denver area. The Rockies later announced that play would begin at 7:40 p.m., one hour after the scheduled start.

The tarp was on the field at the time of the announcement.

The Rockies were scheduled to start Tomoyuki Sugano (10-4, 4.69) against Kansas City’s Michael Wacha (5-7, 3.60). It’s not clear if either had the chance to warm up before the rain delayed the game.

Royals-Rockies Delayed

And now it’s raining buckets… on bucket hat giveaway night. pic.twitter.com/6gz9daNy3H

— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) August 1, 2026

Both teams entered the game with little to gain the rest of the season. While the Rockeis (42-67) are playing better baseball than a year ago, they are still well out of the race in the NL West. The best they can do is sell the assets it can at the trade deadline, which is on Monday, and begin playing for next year.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Rockies is whether they will be enticed to trade their two-time All-Star catcher hunter Goodman, who is rumored to be drawing interest from several teams that being catchers. The Rockies don't have to trade Goodman and him under team control for several more years. He’s seen by most as a building block for the team’s future.

The Colorado Rockies have several other players who could be dealt by Monday, including Sugano, who could be making his last start with the team if he’s traded. Other potential trade pieces include outfielders Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy. Both have played well this season, well enough to get teams in interested in both outfielders. Both have at least one more year of team control, which means the Rockies can demand more for them.

President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes are not looking at this as a fire sale. It’s a strategic sell-off, as both are looking to make moves that will further fortify the minor league system and foster competition the next two years. One player that doesn’t need a push is 2024 first-round pick Charlie Condon, who may benefit from any trade with a call-up to the Majors at some point the final two months.

The Rockies announced before the game that they activated outfielder Brenton Doyle from the 10-day injured list. To make room for him, the Rockies optioned catcher Braxton Fulford to Triple-A Albuquerque.