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Warren Schaeffer of the Colorado Rockies grapples with the injured list

As if the Colorado Rockies weren’t already drowning in their sorrows, the franchise has taken yet another massive hit. This time, the injured list claimed one of their most prized players.

The Rockies are currently last in the NL West, with their overall record of 20-32. When assessing the Major Leagues as a whole, Colorado is ranked toward the bottom, tied with the Detroit Tigers (20-32), both of whom are trailed by the Los Angeles Angels (18-34).

The Rockies have continued to dig themselves a hole once again this year, but the injured list has been playing a major factor in their inability to climb out.

Mickey Moniak Is the IL’s Next Victim

After signing with Colorado as a free agent in March 2025, it became clear that Mickey Moniak would play a significant role for the Rockies. He hit the ground running, and he’s served as a key piece of their puzzle.

This year, he leads the franchise in home runs, slugging percentage and on-base plus slugging. At the time of this writing, he owns a slash line of .280/.335/.607 with a .942 OPS and 12 homers with 28 RBIs through his 43 game appearances.

During his 2025 campaign — his first year playing in Colorado — he wrapped up the season slashing .270/.306/.518 with a .824 OPS and 24 homers throughout 135 games. He made a mark on the franchise, but now, he will be left to watch from the sidelines.

As of May 22, Moniak is now listed on the 10-day IL due to right ankle tendonitis. As a result, Sterlin Thompson from Triple-A Albuquerque is stepping up in his place, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com.

According to Harding, Warren Schaeffer recently stated, “Mickey never wants to go on the IL. He’s a warrior. He’s a battler. It’s just honest, man-to-man conversation about what’s best for him, what’s best for the team. He agrees.”

Frustration looms as Colorado must figure out how to plug this glaring gap at the plate. Losing a hitter as valuable as Moniak is never ideal, but it’s particularly difficult now, given who their upcoming opponents are.

Rockies Suffer Another Blow

GettyMickey Moniak of the Colorado Rockies before his injury

Moniak’s injury news serves as yet another hit to the already struggling ballclub.

Not only is the 28-year-old slugger now out of commission, but he joins a handful of players recovering on the IL, including center fielder Brenton Doyle, right-handers Chase Dollander and Victor Vodnik, among several others.

This is incredibly poor timing for Colorado. Once their series against the Arizona Diamondbacks wraps up on May 24, they will be back on the road to face the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

If the Rockies had any shot at winning, those chances have almost entirely slipped through the cracks at this point.

Without Moniak at the plate, the chances of coming out on top become even slimmer. After the Rockies-Dodgers three-game series, they will return to Coors Field for a homestand against the San Francisco Giants, who are running 20-31 overall in the NL West.

Colorado has little time to get squared away before taking on the Dodgers, and the IL is only growing from here.