Colorado’s hopeful ace needs a Triple-A tune-up.
The Rockies optioned rookie right-hander Chase Dollander to Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday ahead of the club’s road trip to Boston and Cincinnati to conclude the first half before the all-star break. In a corresponding move, Colorado recalled Bradley Blalock, who will presumably take Dollander’s scheduled start on Saturday against the Reds.
Dollander’s demotion comes amid recent struggles for the 2023 first-round pick, and a bumpy rookie season overall following his debut on April 6. Dollander is 2-9 with a 6.68 ERA in 15 starts, and didn’t make it past the fourth inning in his two July starts at home against the Astros and White Sox.
He allowed nine earned runs in 6 1/3 innings across those two outings, and has struggled mightily at home overall, with a 9.37 ERA in eight starts at Coors Field. There was also a brief stint on the injured list for Dollander this year, as he missed a couple weeks at the end of May with right forearm tightness before returning to the mound on June 3.
The No. 9 overall pick out of Tennessee two years ago fast-tracked through the minors and the Rockies still expect him to be the anchor of the rotation in years to come.
But there’s been clear growing pains this season, although the 23-year-old’s also posted three quality starts that gave a glimpse of the pitcher he’s capable of becoming. His best outing came on May 12 against the Rangers, when he pitched six innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts in a 2-1 loss in Arlington.
Dollander’s fastball has averaged 97.7 mph, putting him in the 92nd percentile among MLB pitchers, but he isn’t generating much swing-and-miss. His 22.1 whiff percentage ranks in the 26th percentile, and he’s also getting barreled 13.1% of the time, which ranks him in the 3rd percentile.
Meanwhile, Blalock has been ineffective in five games (three starts) for Colorado this year, posting a 12.94 ERA. In his last start in the majors on May 10, Blalock was blasted for 12 runs in 3 2/3 innings in a 21-0 demolition by the Padres at Coors Field. It’s possible the Rockies could also turn to someone else to take Dollander’s start in Cincinnati.
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