Tomoyuki Sugano was scheduled to start on Saturday night. Instead, the Colorado Rockies right-hander went on the 15-day injured list with back spasms.
Sugano was already dealing with a nail problem that set his appearance back by several days. His back strained while playing catch, and the Rockies decided to place him on the injured list retroactive to Wednesday.
“It has to be the bare minimum,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said Saturday before his team’s 6-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants. “I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
Sugano is 8-4 with a 4.80 ERA in his first season with Colorado.
Left-hander Sean Sullivan (0-3, 8.87 ERA) was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to start in Sugano’s place and allowed six runs on 12 hits in 5⅔ innings. He struck out four of 105 pitches.
The Rockies also placed right-handed pitcher Seth Halvorsen (shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day injured list and optioned two-time All-Star reliever Jordan Romano from Albuquerque.
Romano finished Saturday’s game for Colorado with two hits on 10 pitches in the ninth inning.
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Romano was signed by Colorado to the minor leagues on May 6 after the right-hander was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels in late April. He was 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA with the Angels.
While with the Isotopes, Romano threw nine games and had a 4.15 ERA with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. He’s trying to recapture the form that led him to back-to-back 36-season seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022 and 2023.
“There was a time when he was the best major league player in the game,” Schaeffer said. “He has pedigree. He knows what he’s doing in the big leagues. It’s great that I have him.”
“We signed him, put him in the lab, gave him some time (in Triple-A). He’s pitching well; his velocity is up. We’re just super, really excited to have him and what he brings to the bullpen.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.