Sports

Rockies Provide Update on Chase Dollander Following Surgery

By Michael Sakuraba Athlon Sports
arena photography
arena

There's been progress this year, but 2026 looks to be another lost season for the Colorado Rockies. On Tuesday, the team announced that it expects to be without the services of its top young pitcher for the rest of the season.

Chase Dollander hit the 15-day IL on May 15 with right elbow tightness and discomfort. He was diagnosed with a sprained right elbow and transferred to the 60-day IL on June 12. On Monday, Dollander underwent successful internal brace surgery on his elbow, opting not to go for the conventional Tommy John surgery procedure. According to Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, Dollander's timeline is to be determined, but the earliest the team can expect him back is sometime during the 2027 season.

The writing was on the wall for Dollander with the initial elbow discomfort, but the surgery sealed his fate, ending his promising 2026 season. Dollander was a glimmer of hope for a franchise that has not seen a dominant starting pitcher since Ubaldo Jimenez. After being drafted ninth overall by the Rockies in the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft, Dollander made his MLB debut last season.

Dollander strained the patellar tendon in his left knee in mid-September, ending his 2025 season. To start 2026, the Rockies had Dollander coming out of the bullpen, and then eventually piggybacking starts with an opener. In 13 appearances, three of which were starts, Dollander has a 3.89 ERA and a 1.295 WHIP, with 47 strikeouts and 18 walks.

By undergoing the internal brace procedure, the Rockies and Dollander hope that it will shorten his recovery time from the injury. Other notable pitchers who have opted for the internal brace procedure over Tommy John surgery include Spencer Strider, Drew Rasmussen, and Shohei Ohtani. Miami Marlins' top prospect Robby Snelling also chose this procedure just a couple of weeks earlier.

The news likely seals the fate for the Rockies' season as well. Colorado sits in last place in the majors with a 31-48 record heading into Tuesday's action. The Rockies are 19.0 games back of the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and 10.0 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot.

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 8:11 PM.