The Rockies get a breather before heading into a short two-game trip to San Diego, where they’ll try to slow down a Padres club sitting right at .500 and still in the playoff chase.
Colorado comes in after back-to-back losses to the Milwaukee Brewers and enters Tuesday 23 games under .500, sitting 25.5 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West. The schedule gives the Rockies two off-days in the next four days, a welcome pause this late in the season, even if it doesn’t change much about the bigger picture.
The opener is set for 7:40 p.m. MDT on Tuesday, with Michael Lorenzen taking the mound for Colorado against Michael King for San Diego.
Lorenzen is 3-9 with a 6.53 ERA and has had a rough season across 22 appearances, though July has been his best stretch so far. Even so, he’s posted a 5.21 ERA this month and was hit hard in his last outing on July 21, when he gave up six runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings.
His only appearance against the Padres this year came in relief, and he worked a scoreless inning while allowing one baserunner.
King has been a bright spot in his first season under a three-year, $75 million contract. He’s 6-7 with a 3.24 ERA and has been sharp in July, including a recent start in which he allowed one run on five hits over six innings. Colorado hasn’t had much success against him, either; among active Rockies, Willi Casto is the only one with an RBI off King.
Wednesday’s finale is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. MDT, and Gabriel Hughes will start for Colorado.
San Diego has not officially named a starter, but Griffin Canning is projected to go. Hughes, Colorado’s 2022 first-round pick, has put together a promising start to his rookie season.
Over his last two outings, he has allowed three runs and 10 hits across 10.1 combined innings. He has not faced the Padres yet, but he did earn a quality start in his first MLB appearance against the Dodgers in early July.
Canning has had a tough year after spending the first five weeks on the injured list. In his most recent start on July 23, he gave up five runs, four earned, and three home runs in 2.2 innings. He is 1-9 with a 6.97 ERA this season and has a 4.58 ERA with a 1-0 record in three career starts against the Rockies.
For Colorado, getting Hughes extended work matters in a season that has already been rough. If he keeps trending in the right direction, the Rockies may have found another piece for a rotation that still needs answers.
In Other News...
Rockies Trade Deadline Rumors Put One Untouchable Under The Spotlight
As the 2026 trade deadline approaches, the Rockies are again being cast as a team with more questions than answers, and the chatter around their roster reflects that reality. Pitchers Kyle Freeland, Tomoyoki Sugano, Michael Lorenzen and Antonio Senzatela have all surfaced in speculation, a sign that Colorado may be willing to keep reshaping a staff that has not given the club much reason to stand pat.
Brendan Goodman is the name that makes the rumors feel a little more complicated. The All-Stars offense has made him one of the few players the Rockies can build around, and with team control running through 2029, he sits in a very different category from the rest of the trade talk. If Colorado follows through on a broader reset, the deadline could become less about one marquee move and more about how aggressively the club tries to stock up on younger pitching, versatile infield help and the next wave of prospects. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Fans Know Exactly What This Deadline Rumor Means
With the trade deadline drawing closer, the market is starting to take shape around clubs sitting near the bottom of the standings, and that naturally puts a few familiar names in play. Bo Bichette, George Springer, Mickey Moniak, Zach Neto, Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos are all being discussed as possible candidates for contenders looking to add offense, which is the sort of list that always gets attention when teams begin sorting buyers from sellers.
For Colorado, the name that stands out is Moniak, since the Rockies are buried in last place and have little reason to hold onto a player who could bring back future talent. Playoff hopefuls are looking for outfield help, which only adds to the sense that this is the kind of deadline rumor that could move quickly once teams decide how aggressive they want to be. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Suddenly Hold The Leverage In A Deadline Drama
The Red Soxs infield plans took an immediate hit when Curtis Mead went down with a broken wrist soon after arriving from Washington, and that kind of setback can change a deadline board in a hurry. With Boston already looking for another bat, the injury only sharpens the need for Craig Breslow to keep working the market as the deadline approaches.
For Colorado, that matters because Hunter Goodman is one of the more intriguing names they can dangle if they choose to listen. Paul DePodesta does not sound eager to move him unless the return is substantial, which is why the Rockies suddenly find themselves in a position to wait and see whether Boston gets aggressive enough to make a real push. [Read more 🡒]