What happened to Chase Dollander? Why Rockies' young pitcher is landing on injured list

While the 2026 season wasn't meant to be a playoff-contending season for the Colorado Rockies, the team is still trying to get the most out of its young players to build a contender in the future.

Plenty of attention is on Mickey Moniak, as he's been one of the best hitters in baseball this season with his NL-leading 1.032 OPS. But what Chase Dollander has done for Colorado this season might be the most important.

He's been great in his 2026 season so far, but he was dealt some tough news recently, as the Rockies announced that Dollander, the promising young pitcher, is headed for the injured list.

Why Chase Dollander is landing on the IL for Rockies

"The Colorado Rockies announced today the following transactions: ... Place RHP Chase Dollander on the 15-day injured list (right elbow strain), the Rockies announced.

Dollander lands on the injured list just one day after being removed early from his outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a right elbow strain.

It was a concerning scene, and this injury's placement confirmed those fears, as he's going to miss some time.

In that outing, he was clearly struggling to pitch as well as he's pitched before, allowing three runs on five hits in just one inning of work.

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He's flashed a lot of potential this season, with his seven-inning shutout of the New York Mets near the end of April the biggest sign the 24-year-old might be a future ace.

However, this right elbow strain puts a pause to his 2026 season, which is a very tough blow for Dollander and the Rockies.

Colorado needs more pitching help, and with Dollander now out for some time, they only have Kyle Freeland, Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana, and Tomoyuki Sugano in the rotation.

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