Walks came back to haunt the Colorado Rockies in their 9-5 loss to the Texas Rangers on Sunday. The minor league arms struggled to find the zone, but it was non-roster invite Parker Mushinski who struggled the most of the arms that day, walking three and giving up five runs in his 2/3 of an inning. Still, there are some worthwhile things happening with the offense and the pitchers, with a strong shot of making the roste,r so that is good.
Michael Lorenzen will make his Cactus League debut as he takes the ball against the Chicago White Sox. Signed to an $8 million deal, the Rockies are hoping that Lorenzen’s intellectual mind, deep mix of pitches, and desire to solve Coors Field will make him a valuable asset in 2026. He is embracing the challenge and welcomes the role of mentoring and teaching the young guys in the clubhouse. Unfortunately, you’ll only get to watch clips of him pitching after the game today since it isn’t available on television or the radio.
Shane Smith will take the mound for the 3-0 White Sox. Selected in the Rule-5 draft in 2024, Smith was a darling for Chicago in an otherwise forgettable season. He ended up making 29 starts and posting a solid 3.81 ERA with 145 strikeouts against 58 walks in 146 1/3 innings of work, and was named an All-Star in his first big league season while finishing 10th in Rookie of the Year voting.
On the position player side of things, the Rockies continue to experiment with new positions, as Ryan Ritter, who started at third base recently, is now getting some looks in the outfield as he starts in left field. As for the White Sox, Munetaka Murakami will continue getting exposure while their other new additions fill up what could be a fairly regular lineup for them come April.
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. MDT
TV: None
Radio: None
Lineups:
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!