Rockies shuffle rotation and bullpen after Sugano and Halvorsen land on IL

Colorado made two major pitching moves on Saturday, a day after it began reworking its staff around recent health issues. The Rockies scratched right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano from his scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants because of back spasms, then placed him on the 15-day injured list.

With Sugano unable to go, the club turned to rookie left-hander Sean Sullivan. Sullivan was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque and started in Sugano’s place, stepping into a high-leverage moment before a long weekend matchup that quickly became more challenging for a pitching staff already managing workload and timing.

According to the Rockies’ reporting, Sugano’s back problem flared after he was backed up from earlier plans in the Marlins series to let a split fingernail heal. He told reporters through an interpreter that he began feeling discomfort about three days prior, described it as similar to throwing his back out, and said it was improving day by day. Even with that improvement, the team concluded he was not confident enough to start.

In addition to the rotation adjustment, Colorado addressed its bullpen by placing reliever Seth Halvorsen on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Halvorsen’s absence removes another option from a group that has to cover innings when starter depth and pitch counts get compressed.

To replace innings in the bullpen, the Rockies selected veteran right-hander Jordan Romano’s contract from Triple-A Albuquerque. The move adds a longtime closer profile to the Major League roster, and it comes as Colorado continues to search for consistent late-inning performance while also accounting for what injuries have taken away.

Romano’s path to Colorado has already included a stop-and-start this season. He opened the year with the Angels before being released on April 27, then signed with the Rockies on a Minor League deal on May 6. From there, he worked his way back through the organization, ultimately earning a return to the big-league roster.

For Sullivan, the assignment is straightforward but steep. He is the kind of call-up that can change how a manager sequences the rest of the day’s pitching plan, especially if he has to manage pitch counts early in his outing. The Rockies also used his Major League experience to frame the decision, pointing to his recent debut and the fact that he had already seen multiple starts at the top level before being optioned back to Albuquerque.

The immediate storyline is whether Sugano’s back spasms are contained to this IL stint and whether the Rockies can hold onto bullpen leverage without overusing the remaining relievers. The next step is simple: once the Giants series concludes, Colorado’s rotation and bullpen planning will largely be determined by how quickly Sullivan stabilizes in the rotation window and how soon Halvorsen’s shoulder can begin a controlled return to action.