Rockies Shuffle Bullpen After Jimmy Herget Goes on Paternity List

The Colorado Rockies were forced to call up some bullpen reinforcements from Triple-A.

Jul 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Seth Halvorsen (54) reacts after the final out in the ninth inning in a win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies’ bullpen has been one of the strongest aspects of the team to start off the season, but it will have to be without Jimmy Herget, arguably its most capable arm, for a couple of games.

While on paper that’s bad news, the reality is that Herget’s absence couldn’t come for a better reason.

Herget and his wife, Katie, are welcoming their first child into the world soon, putting Herget on the paternity list and leaving him unable to pitch for at least three days.

There’s no doubt that the Rockies will miss Herget’s arm in the bullpen, as the Rockies fell to the San Diego Padres, 10-8, on Thursday. Through 11 appearances this season, Herget has posted a 1.50 ERA, striking out 11 and walking just two. But that doesn’t mean the team is sitting on its laurels when it comes to reinforcements.

As a result of Herget’s absence, the Rockies called up right-handed pitcher Seth Halvorsen from Triple-A Albuquerque to fill the void.

The Colorado Rockies announced today the following transactions:

-Placed RHP Jimmy Herget on the paternity list.
-Recalled RHP Seth Halvorsen from Triple-A Albuquerque.

— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) April 23, 2026

Halvorsen, a former seventh-round pick out of Tennessee in the 2023 MLB Draft, has a wealth of MLB experience over the past couple of seasons.

He appeared in 12 games in 2024, where he was exceptional over 12.1 innings of work. He was unable to repeat that same success the following year, posting a 4.99 ERA and a 5.20 FIP over 39.2 innings, as well as a fairly rough spring, which led to the Rockies sending him down to Triple-A to work on his craft. Now he has the opportunity to prove he belongs on a big-league mound once again.

Rockies Bullpen Has Been a Welcome Surprise

Apr 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jimmy Herget (44) delivers during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Halvorsen pitched a scoreless inning of relief on Thursday, as he struck out two and walked one.

As previously mentioned, the Rockies’ bullpen has been a welcome surprise to start the 2026 campaign. The team’s 3.36 bullpen ERA is the seventh-best in the sport, only behind the Cincinnati Reds (2.54), San Diego Padres (3.06), Texas Rangers (3.09), Atlanta Braves (3.12), Miami Marlins (3.13) and San Francisco Giants (3.28). Herget’s impressive efforts have been a major reason for why, though with him on the sideline for at least a couple of days, the prospects of locking it down on the back end become a little hairier.

Still, Halvorsen is a worthy replacement, even with his struggles in spring training. Should he come up and prove to the Rockies and the rest of the league that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level of professional baseball, then not only will he stay up with the Rockies even after Herget returns from paternity leave, but the team as a whole could elevate to a level no one thought possible heading into the season.