Rockies select contract of LHP Ryan Rolison, make additional roster moves

The Rockies are calling up their former first-round pick and making an assortment of roster moves.

The Colorado Rockies announced an assortment of roster moves on Sunday morning prior to their Mother’s Day game against the San Diego Padres.

The highlight of the day is the selection of left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison’s contract from the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes to make his big league debut.

Rolison, 27, was the Rockies’ first round selection in the 2018 draft out of Ole Miss. Once a starter, he has been waylaid by injuries throughout much of his professional career. After missing 2022 and most of 2023 with persistent shoulder issues, Rolison returned to regular play in 2024 and reinvented himself as a reliever.

That shift to the bullpen has paid dividends for the 6’2’’ lefty, who has now finally reached the summit that is Major League Baseball.

Last season, he made 22 relief appearances for the Isotopes to the tune of a 5.19 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He struck out 25 batters over 34 ²⁄₃ innings of work.

This season he has quietly been one of the ‘Topes’ best pitchers. Through 12 appearances, he holds a 3.72 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 19 ¹⁄₃ innings. He also started one game as an opener.

Rolison will be a reinforcement to a Rockies bullpen in desperate need of reinforcements while the starting rotation struggles. He will wear jersey no. 50, last worn by Ty Blach.

Rolsion will be joined by right-handed pitcher Anthony Molina on the big league roster.

Molina, 23, has struggled this season with the Isotopes. He has a 9.20 ERA in seven starts and 30 ¹⁄₃ innings of work. However, the former Rule-5 selection from the Tampa Bay Rays can both start games and come out of the bullpen in a long relief role.

Molina made his MLB debut last season, making 35 appearances with a 6.79 ERA and 41 strikeouts over 59 ²⁄₃ innings.

In corresponding roster moves, right-handed pitchers Bradley Blalock and Juan Mejia have been optioned to Triple-A.

To free up a spot on the 40-man roster, designated hitter Kris Bryant has been moved to the 60-day injured list. Bryant recently underwent an ablation in an attempt to resolve his lingering back issues.

UPDATE: Here’s Rolison describing the big moment when he knew he was headed to Denver: