The move will stress an already uneven starting rotation.
The Colorado Rockies announced today that Kyle Freeland has been placed on the 15-day IL with a left elbow strain.
The Rockies announced today that they have placed left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland on the 15-day injured list (left elbow strain), retroactive to April 16, and have recalled right-handed pitcher Noah Davis from Triple-A Albuquerque .
— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) April 19, 2024
The move is retroactive to April 16.
News of a possible elbow injury to his left arm should be differentiated from Freeland’s history of shoulder issues.
Freeland first injured his left shoulder in 2021; then in 2023, he injured his right shoulder after diving for a ground ball.
Early this week, Freeland again suffered some trauma to his right shoulder when pinch running in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
However, Bud Black indicated that Freeland was expected to make his next start against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.
The news of a possible elbow injury may foreshadow another hit to a rotation that saw two of its starters undergo Tommy John surgery early in 2023. (Germán Márquez is expected to return after the All-Star Break while Antonio Senzatela may miss all of the 2024 season.)
Freeland’s 2024 season has gotten off to a rough start. In 15.2 IP, he’s earned a 13.21 ERA (6.27 FIP) after coming off a strong spring training.
Noah Davis has been called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Freeland’s spot in the rotation. Davis has pitched 17.2 innings for the Isotopes and has a 6.62 ERA (4.77 FIP) with a 1.02 HR/9.
Last week, Black discussed the “pandemic’ of pitching injuries MLB is seeing.