Yes, Chase Dollander will miss some time on the mound with a right elbow sprain. However, it appears that it is a best-case scenario for the young Rockies fireballer. 

Dollander, who left Thursday’s start in Pittsburgh after just one inning, was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday with the elbow sprain. However, indications are that an MRI didn’t show anything that would cause Dollander or the Rockies to think this would be a long-term injury. 

“I mean, that’s always scary. The elbow area is always scary,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “The MRI, I think everybody’s happy about it at this moment.” 

That happiness certainly extended to the 24-year-old Dollander, who was pitching in his 10^th game of the season when the sprain occurred. 

“Yeah, just a very minor UCL sprain. That’s just what the MRI showed,” Dollander said. “I have a little inflammation around the ligament. Nothing to be too concerned about. Just thanking God that it wasn’t more than that. Obviously, it’s probably the best-case scenario. Trying to look at the positive side.” 

Dollander admitted that, in the moment in Pittsburgh, there was some concern about just how serious the injury could be. 

“If anything happens to that area, your mind automatically goes to the worst-case scenario, so that’s just kind of what happened,” Dollander said. “But as I started to kind of sit with it and talk to some people, I knew going into the MRI this morning that it probably wasn’t what I thought it was. 

“Thank God it wasn’t. This could be a very different conversation.” 

Dollander said he first noticed some issues right after his start in Philadelphia on May 8, the one right before the shortened outing in Pittsburgh. In that game, Dollander went 5 2/3 innings and allowed three hits while giving up two runs. He also walked five and struck out five in an 89-pitch outing. 

“But as I threw, it kind of went away, and then for whatever reason that day (in Pittsburgh), it just never went away,” Dollander said. “I’m just glad that the trainer saw it and came out and got me, because I would have stayed out there and possibly could have blown myself out.” 

There is no timetable for Dollander’s return. However, even if Dollander spent the minimum amount of time on the injured list, he wouldn’t return to the Rockies until the very end of May. 

Dollander’s move to the injured list was just one of a series of roster tweaks for the Rockies ahead of their homestand opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. 

Needing a pitcher to take Dollander’s place, the Rockies recalled left-hander Sammy Peralta from Triple-A. 

It’s the second time this season Colorado has summoned Peralta, but the 28-year-old left-hander didn’t see any action the first time he was brought up while the Rockies were in New York to face the Mets in late April. 

Additionally, infielder/outfielder Tyler Freeman was placed on the paternity list before the game, creating a spot for outfielder Sterlin Thompson to get his first MLB call-up. The Longmont native was slashing .344/.491/.496 in 125 at-bats this season with Triple-A Albuquerque. 

When he takes the field, he will become the first Colorado native position player to make his MLB debut for the Rockies. Three other pitchers, including Friday’s starter, Kyle Freeland, have already made their debuts for their home state team. 

Friday also marked the first time that Thompson had been to Coors Field since he was signed right after being drafted by the Rockies with the 31^st overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft. 

“(Sterlin) has done everything we’ve asked him to do down in the minor leagues, and he’s earned this,” Schaeffer said. “He’s earned every bit of this. It’s very much a merit-based decision. He’s good against righties and lefties. He’s putting the ball in play a ton. He’s getting on base a ton, making good swing decisions. He’s a really good hitter, and he deserves to be rewarded.” 

While Thompson wasn’t in the starting lineup on Friday, Schaeffer confirmed he could be in line for a pinch-hitting role should the situation warrant. 

Schaeffer said those duties would fit right in with what he considers to be one of Thompson’s strengths — hitting. 

“(Sterlin) is known to be a hitter. The splits are pretty much even, maybe even tick better against left-handers, so that says something about what he does,” Schaeffer said of the left-handed-hitting Thompson. “Watching his video against left-handed hitters, he’s staying the other way, hitting balls hard up the middle. Just a solid, good approach that we look forward to seeing here.”