Jose Quintana and Kyle Freeland both took encouraging steps Wednesday night, teaming up for five shutout innings in Double-A Hartford’s 4-0 win over Somerset.
Quintana, working back from a left elbow sprain, went two innings and gave up one hit and one walk while striking out one. Freeland, who is coming back from cervical radiculopathy, handled the next three innings without allowing a hit. He walked one and struck out five.
The Rockies left-handers both said they felt good and were pain-free, though their return dates to the majors remain unclear. Manager Warren Schaeffer said Quintana will need one more rehab start, and that Freeland will be back on a big league mound before Quintana.
For Quintana, the outing marked another step in a comeback that has been on hold since May 24, when he last pitched in a Major League game. He called the season frustrating, saying he had never dealt with an elbow injury before this year. Quintana is set to become a free agent after the season and said he plans to keep pitching in 2027.
“In May I was starting to pitch better, and then I got hurt,” Quintana said. “At some point, I didn’t think I was going to be healthy.
The last two weeks, I’ve been feeling really good. I had a PRP [platelet-rich plasma] injection, and it worked.
It was hard to handle [the injury] because I never had elbow issues before.
“I’m glad I didn’t need surgery. My elbow is healthy. I want to keep pitching.”
Freeland’s night was even sharper after a brief hiccup. He walked Jace Avina to open the third inning, then retired the next eight batters he faced.
“I got in the zone early. I was ahead of the hitters. I was able to get to my breaking stuff and execute that,” Freeland said.
A Denver native, Freeland is also headed toward free agency after 2026 and said he’s still weighing everything. He’s 4-10 with a 6.37 ERA in 23 starts this season, but his place in Rockies history is already secure: 254 career starts, 115 quality starts and 1,384 2/3 innings pitched, all franchise records. He also ranks second in strikeouts with 1,074, third in wins with 69 and seventh in ERA at 4.71 among pitchers with at least 100 starts.
“Moving forward, I’m at the end of a contract. There are a lot of different variables.
I’m from Denver - born and raised. I’ve been with this organization for 12 years now,” Freeland said.
“We’ll see what happens. I’m not ruling anything out.
I’m not letting anything go. It would be nice to spend an entire career in Colorado, but there are ways where everything works.
I’m keeping an open mind on everything.”
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