Ryan Feltner has skull fracture and concussion after being hit by comebacker
Ryan Feltner, who was hit by a comebacker on Saturday night, has a skull fracture and concussion. He is expected to miss significant time.
Feltner was struck by a line drive off the bat of Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos, the stadium falling silent as Feltner lay on the ground. Trainers rushed out to see him and Feltner was able to walk off on his own power. He stayed the night in the hospital and is expected to be released on Sunday afternoon.
Rockies’ Ryan Feltner struck in head with line drive, admitted to hospital during loss to Phillies
“Overall he’s fine,” manager Bud Black said before Sunday’s game. “It could have been worse.”
Feltner will not need surgery, but will need to rest to allow the trauma to heal. He was lucid after the incident and communicated with teammates and Black via text on Saturday night. Black held a team meeting after the game to update the Rockies on Feltner’s condition.
Riley Pint was called up to replace Feltner on the active roster. Pint will have to wait for his MLB debut as he did not appear in Sunday’s win. The team, though, will need to eventually bring in another starter.
Colorado has lacked pitching depth for the last two seasons but were extremely lucky in 2022, only needing eight starters for the entire season. This year has been a different story.
Feltner is the fourth Rockies’ starter to go on the injured list this season, joining Germán Márquez (Tommy John, out for season), Noah Davis (elbow inflammation) and Antonio Senzatela (UCL sprain). The Rockies only have two starters remaining from their Opening Day rotation — Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber.
The Rockies claimed Chase Anderson from the Rays on Friday to give them an additional arm, and he’s scheduled to make his first start on Tuesday against the Reds. The team will need to pull in someone else to replace Feltner in the rotation. With an off day on Thursday, the Rockies can buy some time and stick with four starters for now. Karl Kauffmann, Ty Blach and Phillips Valdez are the internal options available, but the team is also looking into acquiring another pitcher.
CJ Cron exits game early
CJ Cron exited the Rockies game in the fourth inning on Sunday with back spasms.
Cron ran out of the batters box, then immediately stopped and dropped to one knee. Trainers helped him off the field, and he will probably need a stint on the injured list, Black said.
Trainers lead Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner off the field after he was struck by a batted ball Saturday against the Phillies in Denver.
