Chase Dollander went from fearing the worst to hoping for the best.<\/p>\n
The Rockies\u2019 24-year-old right-hander went on the 15-day disabled list Friday with an elbow sprain. But he said he dodged a torn ulnar collateral ligament that likely would have required season-ending Tommy John surgery.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very minor UCL sprain,\u201d Dollander said before the Rockies hosted Arizona at Coors Field. \u201cThe MRI showed just some minor inflammation around the ligament; nothing to be too concerned about. I\u2019m just thanking God that it was nothing more than that. Honestly, it\u2019s probably the best-case scenario. I\u2019m trying to look on the positive side of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dollander, who\u2019s being counted on as the ace of Colorado\u2019s future, <\/a>was pulled from Thursday\u2019s game in Pittsburgh in the second inning with right arm tightness. After the Rockies\u2019 7-2 loss <\/a>to the Pirates, he was asked about the severity of his injury.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, I\u2019m not sure,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to say too much before anything else happens. Not to freak myself out or anybody else out.\u201d<\/p>\n He admitted Friday that he was worried about some strange sensations in his arm and fingers when he pitched, something he had never experienced before.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, if anything happens to that area, your mind automatically goes to the worst-case scenario,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of what happened. But then I just kind of decided to sit with it and talk with some people I trust. So I knew going into the MRI this morning that it probably wasn\u2019t what I thought it was. So, thank God that it wasn\u2019t, or else we would be having a very different conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n Manager Warren Schaeffer didn\u2019t put a timetable on how long Dollander will be out of action, but the right-hander could miss a month or more. The Rockies are going to be cautious about bringing Dollander back too quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe elbow area is always scary,\u201d Schaeffer said. \u201cBut with the MRI, I think everybody is happy \u2014 at this moment. We can\u2019t have a timetable (right now).\u201d<\/p>\n On Thursday, the Pirates knocked around Dollander for three runs in the first inning, the big blow a two-run homer to center field by Ryan O\u2019Hearn. Dollander pitched to just two batters in the second, giving up a leadoff double to Endy Rodr\u00edguez, followed by a walk to Jared Triolo on five pitches. Dollander was shaking his right arm and hand during the inning.\n<\/p>\n After the walk to Triolo, head trainer Keith Dugger and Schaeffer met Dollander on the mound. After about a 2-minute conversation, Dollander threw one practice pitch before leaving the game.<\/p>\n Dollander said he first experienced some discomfort during his start at Philadelphia on May 8, but it went away the more he threw. When the discomfort showed up again on Thursday, accompanied by a slight dip in his fastball velocity, he realized it was time to shut down.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just glad that the trainer saw it and came out and got me,\u201d Dollander said. \u201cBecause, me being me, I would have tried to stay out there and possibly blown myself out. I\u2019m glad he took me out. (Dugger) said he saw me just kind of shake my arm a little bit. Honestly, I didn\u2019t realize I did that.\u201d<\/p>\n