Colorado Rockies closer Seth Halvorsen threw just five pitches in the top of the ninth inning before leaving with an apparent elbow injury in the Rockies’ 8-5 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
The rookie right-hander recorded two strikes before three consecutive balls against Pittsburgh pinch hitter Spencer Horwitz. After missing on a 99-mph fastball, Halvorsen spoke on the mound with manager Warren Schaeffer and head athletic trainer Keith Dugger before exiting the game. Right-hander Dugan Darnell replaced Halvorsen and finished the game.
“It don’t look good,” Schaeffer said of Halvorsen’s injury after the game. “It’s his elbow. I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
Halvorsen, 25, is 1-2 this season with a team-high 11 saves as well as a 4.99 ERA, 21 walks and 36 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings over 42 relief appearances. He has a 3-3 career record with 13 saves, a 4.15 ERA, 23 walks and 49 strikeouts in 52 innings over 54 appearances since making his major league debut in August 2024.
Colorado selected Halvorsen in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Tennessee. Halvorsen had Tommy John surgery in his freshman season at the University of Missouri before transferring to Tennessee and becoming a reliever.
Also on Saturday, the Rockies placed right-handed starter Antonio Senzatela on the 15-day injured list because of a blister on his right middle finger.
In a corresponding move, Colorado recalled rookie left-hander Ryan Rolison from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Senzatela, 30, last pitched on Friday, going two-thirds of an inning and allowing eight runs on seven hits and two walks in 31 pitches during Colorado’s 17-16 home win over the Pirates. Schaeffer said the finger blister affected Senzatela.
He is 4-14 this season with a 7.34 ERA, 38 walks and 55 strikeouts in 103 innings over 22 games (21 starts). He leads the majors with 14 losses, 159 hits allowed and 84 earned runs allowed.
For his career, the native Venezuelan is 43-58 with a 5.22 ERA, 255 walks and 513 strikeouts in 795 innings over 170 games (143 starts) since his major league debut with the Rockies in April 2017.
Rolison, 28, is 0-0 with a 7.34 ERA, 15 walks and 18 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings over 22 games (one start) with Colorado this season.
–Field Level Media
