September 13th 2024.
After what seemed like an eternity, Antonio Senzatela is finally making his return to the mound for the major league game. The right-handed pitcher had been sidelined for the past 495 days due to Tommy John surgery on his elbow. But now, he's back and ready to start for the Rockies on Monday, as confirmed by manager Bud Black on Friday afternoon at Coors Field.
It's been a long road to recovery for Senzatela, who last played for the Rockies on May 10, 2023. In his second start of the season, he left the game after facing only 12 batters due to an injury to his right elbow. Initially, Senzatela and the Rockies decided against surgery for the sprained ulnar collateral ligament, but after a platelet-rich plasma injection didn't produce the desired results, he ultimately underwent the procedure in the middle of July 2023.
Before his injury, Senzatela had been a consistent member of the Rockies' rotation for six seasons. In 2021, he recorded career bests in innings pitched and strikeouts. As part of his rehab process, Senzatela made five starts for Double-A Hartford, where he posted a 5.29 ERA and tallied 18 strikeouts in 17 innings.
Black also announced that Cal Quantrill will take the mound on Sunday afternoon against the Chicago Cubs, setting the stage for Senzatela's highly anticipated return on Monday night against the Diamondbacks.
In other injury news, the Rockies are still without Kris Bryant, who is recovering from a back injury. Black confirmed that Bryant is not close to returning and there is a possibility that he may not play again this season.
Speaking about Bryant's injury, Black stated, "Honestly, he's not real close. As each day goes on, it's becoming increasingly possible that his season is over."
In the meantime, the Rockies are focused on their upcoming game against the Tigers, where they will rely on clutch hits and stellar pitching to secure a win. They are also looking to bounce back after a tough loss to the Tigers in their previous game. But with Senzatela back on the mound and Kyle Freeland dominating on the field, the Rockies have a strong chance of coming out on top. As the team looks towards the future, they have five promising pitching prospects who could determine the fate of the franchise. Want to stay updated on all things Rockies? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get the latest MLB analysis and news.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
