The Rockies still hope Michael Toglia, their 2019 first-round draft choice, will eventually turn the corner. It hasn’t happened yet. Indeed, Toglia has gone in the wrong direction this season. Wednesday, the first baseman/right fielder was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. The Rockies recalled utility player Hunter Goodman to take Togila’s place on the 26-man roster. Goodman will play primarily corner outfield and first base, but he can also fill in at catcher. Toglia, 25, leads the Rockies with four home runs but has far too many empty at-bats, especially for an offense that has struggled mig ..read more

Brendan Rodgers has said in his quiet voice more than once, “We’re going to get out of this.” Tuesday night, the Rockies’ soft-spoken second baseman swung a big stick, blasting a fifth-inning grand slam to power the Rockies to a 7-4 victory over San Diego at chilly Coors Field. Rodgers’ first career grand slam was undoubtedly fueled by frustration — his and his teammates’. Colorado, which had lost eight of its last 10 games, had not gone deep in six consecutive games, one short of the franchise record. Rodgers entered the game hitting .194 with no home runs and just three RBIs. He was initiall ..read more

With a 3-1 defeat to the Padres in the series opener on Monday at Coors Field, the Rockies joined some bad company. Colorado became the first team to trail in each of its first 23 games of the season since the Reds did so in 1931. Cincinnati finished in last place in the National League that year, and the Rockies appear destined for the same fate. And so it goes for the Rockies, who extended their franchise-worst start to 5-18 on a night where Padres right-hander Dylan Cease was nearly unhittable as the Colorado offense sputtered again. “At some point it’s got to turn where we’ve got to get th ..read more

Twenty-two games into the season, the Rockies have yet to win back-to-back games. Call it the Rockies’ Catch-22. If they hit well — an increasingly rare occurrence — they don’t pitch well. If they pitch well — an occasional occurrence — they don’t hit. After beating the Mariners, 2-1 in 10 innings, in the opener of Sunday’s split-doubleheader at Coors Field to snap a six-game losing streak, Colorado had a chance for back-to-back wins. But that opportunity evaporated when the Mariners blew up starter Peter Lambert with a six-run second inning and cruised to a 10-2 victory. It didn’t help that S ..read more

Ryan Feltner is discussing his art. This particular painting, one he’s informally named “Busy,” is a riot of colors, shapes, meaning and emotions. “It says something about me, for sure,” the Rockies’ starting pitcher said. “In a way, it’s about reaching into yourself, maybe getting back to the child inside. But it’s also about forgetting things you’ve learned, getting past all of those layers, and then just seeing what comes out. “But paintings also say something different to anyone who looks at them. I like that. That’s really what I’m going for.” Spoken like a true abstract expressionist. An ..read more

The Rockies didn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hades against the Mariners Saturday night at frigid Coors Field. Not with right-hander Luis Castillo baffling hitters for seven splendid innings and Colorado’s defense taking the night off as right fielder Sean Bouchard and center fielder Brenton Doyle both committed sloppy errors. First baseman Elehuris Montero was initially charged with another error, but the ruling was reversed after the game. For the record, Seattle blanked the Rockies, 7-0, sending them to their sixth consecutive loss. It was Colorado’s fourth shutout this season. The Rockies ..read more

Some wise-apple in the Grading The Week offices, the one with the autographed photo of the late Norm Macdonald in his cubicle, suggested we lead off this week’s edition with a joke about the Rockies being on autopilot for about two-and-a-half years now. But come on. We’re above such things. Aren’t we? (Spoiler alert: We’re not.) This will come as a shock to exactly none of you, but the franchise on 20th & Bleak is weird. Like, really weird. Analysts think they’re weird. Insiders think they’re weird. Sabermatricians think they’re weird. Other teams think they’re weird. Other executives and ..read more

Caitlin Clark is not a moment. She’s a movement. Talk show host Colin Cowherd said this a few weeks ago, and it remains true. It also means it must be reflected in the coverage of Clark specifically and women’s sports in general. Clark’s Indiana Fever No. 22 became the top-selling jersey ever on draft night of any athlete in any sport, according to licensed sportswear retailer Fanatics. ESPN provided insightful and thoughtful stories on the WNBA players selected in New York, whether at the anchor desk or in the crowd with Holly Rowe. We can’t say the same thing about her introductory Fever new ..read more

The Rockies series opener against the Mariners on Friday at Coors Field was postponed due to inclement weather. Related Articles Colorado Rockies | Rockies place Kyle Freeland on 15-day injured list with left elbow strain Colorado Rockies | Rockies’ rally falls short in 7-6 loss to Phillies, who finish three-game sweep Colorado Rockies | Rockies’ Kris Bryant, injured again, goes on IL with back strain Colorado Rockies | Rockies Mailbag: Is Kris Bryant’s contract one of the worst in Colorado sports history? Colorado Rockies | Reeling Rockies dominated by Phillies’ Ranger Suarez, who throw ..read more

After a rash of pitching injuries contributed to last year’s 103-loss season, the Rockies have their first significant health issue on the mound in 2024. Colorado placed Kyle Freeland on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a left elbow strain, a move retroactive to April 16. “Relatively speaking, with the results of his scan and the doctor’s report, he’s going to be OK,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “… We’re hoping in anywhere from a month to six weeks that he’ll be back on the mound for us.” In four starts this season, Freeland is 0-3 with a 13.21 ERA. In his last start on Sunday, the T ..read more