Back in May, I wrote about the problems plaguing Colorado Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela.

On that date, May 22, the Rockies had just been blanked by the Philadelphia Phillies and held a record of 8-42. Senzatela, for his part, was 1-8 with a 6.34 ERA. Fresh off the heels of a ten-hit, four-run drubbing from those same Phillies, it seemed that Senza was finding himself completely outmatched by opposing lineups and fighting from behind in each of his starts.

That was then. How has he progressed as the summer has continued?

Since then, Senzatela has won three of his starts. Hey, that’s not too shabby!

The bad news? He’s lost six more and has recorded an ERA north of 8. His most recent outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates saw the right-hander allowing eight earned runs and finding himself unable to make it through the first inning. It’s been rough.

I’m not trying to pile on the guy, I swear, but it’s clear that things aren’t working.

After that last beatdown, it was determined that Senzatela was suffering from a blister on his throwing hand. This caused the team to place him on the 15-day IL. One hopes that the time spent away from the game will help allow him to find his center and return to finish the season strong.

But it’s hard to envision such a scenario.

That’s Senzatela’s Baseball Savant page. That’s, uh, a lotta blue.

Right now, his pitching is just not competitive. Opposing lineups are scorching his fastball (.372 batting average against), which is rough when that’s far and away his most-utilized weapon. In fairness, his offspeed stuff hasn’t fared much better: His slider, changeup, and sinker are being hit just as hard. The curveball is his only weapon that’s seen an opposing average below .300.

Entering Thursday’s game, Senzatela stands alone in MLB in terms of pitcher losses, hits allowed, and earned runs allowed. If he’d stayed healthy and qualified, his 7.34 ERA would be far and away the highest (the next-highest qualifier is Sandy Alcantara’s 6.44). With all due respect to the nine-year veteran, even if he’s able to return to full health once his blister heals up, the Rockies cannot continue to trot him out there with these numbers.

Okay, things are rough. That’s been made clear. The question is, where do we go from here?

I posited a potential bullpen move in my last article, which is a route the Rockies may still decide to take.

After all, his when the Rockies used an opener in a game against the New York Mets, Senzatela threw four scoreless innings (though he also walked four, which isn’t great). The bullpen is not unfamiliar. He saw plenty of ‘pen action in the past, such as his initial 2017 season, which found him far more effective as a reliever (3.04 ERA in 16 games out of the bullpen) as opposed to starting (5.03 ERA).

As much optimism as those stats provide, I’m unfortunately not sure how feasible that kind of move is in 2025.

Senzatela’s stuff doesn’t appear up to snuff, regardless of pitching role, and I’m not sure the Rockies coaching staff is jonesing to add his batting-practice fastball to a relief unit that’s already had its fair share of problems this season. Adding a struggling veteran to their ranks does little to assuage those troubles, especially when there are so many young arms looking for opportunities to learn and develop.

With the bullpen an unlikely option and a return to the rotation ill-advised, Colorado’s front office must entertain a tough decision: Should they part ways with a pitcher they once held high hopes for?

I want to be clear that I have nothing against Antonio Senzatela whatsoever. I have always wanted to see him succeed and was excited when he signed his five-year extension with the Rockies back in 2021. Baseball, however, is ultimately a business, and right now it’s hard to see where he fits into the long-term plans of the team.

That contract still has 2026 guaranteed with a club option available in 2027.

As painful as it may be, it’s worth considering whether it’s in the best interest of the team to cut ties with the Venezuelan righty at season’s end. The monetary hit will hurt, to be sure, but it will allow Senzatela to seek employment with another club as he attempts to return to his 2020 form, while also allowing a newer face to take over his roster spot. As much as it may pain some of us to see it happen, the days of Senzatela, Germán Márquez (himself a free agent after this year), and Kyle Freeland (signed through next year) may well be coming to an end, and it’s important for the team to start turning their attention to budding stars such as Chase Dollander, Gabriel Hughes, and others.

I will always cherish the times that he’s spent on the Rockies, including his role on the 2018 playoff team, but it’s time for both Senzatela and the team to consider ending their relationship. If he chooses to find employment elsewhere, I’ll continue to cheer for Senza and hope he can experience a Tyler Matzek-like career renaissance. I don’t think that will happen in Colorado. It’s like Allison Brie tells Dave Franco in new horror film “Together”:

“If we don’t split now, it’ll be much harder later.”

Triple-A: Round Rock Express 5, Albuquerque Isotopes 3 (Game One)

Round Rock Express: 5, Albuquerque Isotopes 4 (Game Two)

The ‘Topes found themselves unable to stop the Express from chuggin’ along in both of their Wednesday games as Round Rock swept their doubleheader. Andrew Quezada tossed all seventh tossed all seven innings of game one, while four pitchers combined to get through game two. Aaron Schunk led the way offensively with three hits and two runs overall on the day.

Double-A: Altoona Curve 1, Hartford Yard Goats 0

Sean Sullivan continued his impressive 2025 campaign with 7 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, but his Yard Goats couldn’t muster any support behind him. Altoona took home the walkoff win when Welinton Herrera struggled with command, ceding two walks, a hit batsman, and a single in the bottom of the ninth to send the Curve fans home happy. A Roc Riggio single and Bryant Betancourt double were all the offense Hartford could muster throughout the game.

High-A: Eugene Emeralds 7, Spokane Indians 2

A four-run second inning was the turning point for the Emeralds, who never really allowed the Indians a chance to get back in the game. Josh Bostick’s six innings set up Darien Smith’s three relief frames, and both were able to completely shut down Spokane’s bats. Jean Perez’s eighth-inning home run was about the sole highlight at the plate for Spokane.

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies 10, Inland Empire 66ers 9

There was plenty of offense in Wednesday’s late game as the Grizzlies and 66ers both piled the runs on. The 66ers scored five runs in the game’s last two innings and managed to get the winning run to the plate, but Fresno’s Tyler Hampu buckled down to earn the save. The Grizzlies top of the lineup – Roldy Brito, Roynier Hernandez, and Robert Calaz – were the engines of the offense, combining to go 10-for-17 with seven RBIs and seven runs scored en route to the Rockies organization’s only win of the day.

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