Antonio Senzatela Expected To Be Activated Off IL, Make Season Debut On Monday
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela (elbow) is expected to be activated off the IL on Monday and make the start for the Rockies in their series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Senzatela has been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched in a Major League game since May of 2023. In his rehab assignments he has pitched to a 5.29 ERA in 17 innings while striking out 18 batters with a 1.176 WHIP. While the 18 strikeouts show a significant increase over Senzatela's normal strikeout numbers (career 5.97 K/9) it should be noted he didn't face above Double-A competition in his rehab assignments. His return will be more significant to the Rockies more than it will for fantasy managers. Senzatela will likely be on a short leash in his debut on Monday in his return, especially considering that current Diamondback batters have hit for a .432 wOBA against him in 148 PA. Fantasy managers and DFS managers alike should avoid Senzatela in his return and wait to see what 2025 brings for the 29-year-old.
Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) tossed three scoreless innings for High-A Spokane in his second minor-league rehab outing on Friday, giving up two hits and striking out four against Hillsboro. Manager Bud Black said that Senzatela's next outing will be for Double-A Hartford during the week of Aug. 25. In his two outings with Spokane, the 29-year-old went a total of 5 1/3 innings, so he still has some work to do to get stretched out before he's a realistic option to make several starts for the Rockies at the big-league level to close out the year. Senzatela has never been much of a fantasy asset in mixed fantasy leagues, and that isn't going to suddenly change in the final month of the 2024 season, especially after coming off Tommy John surgery. Keep him on the waiver wire.
Antonio Senzatela Likely To Start Rehab Assignment On Thursday
Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) threw 28 pitches from his entire arsenal during an up-and-down simulated game on Saturday in San Diego. Manager Bud Black said that Senzatela is set to begin a minor-league rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, likely on Thursday, Aug. 8. It will be his first game action since May 10 of last year after he had Tommy John surgery. "I'm super excited," Senzatela said. "It's been a long year, almost two long years." The 29-year-old is getting closer to rejoining the Rockies' starting rotation, but he still is going to need a lengthy rehab assignment and probably won't be an option in Colorado until the final month of the season. The Venezuelan hurler has never had much fantasy upside in his seven big-league seasons, though, with a career 4.87 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 15.3% strikeout rate.
Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Friday and is nearing his first live batting practice session. The Rockies aren't trying to rush Senzatela back into their starting rotation as he recovers from Tommy John surgery that he had a year ago, but there's no denying that the 29-year-old is getting closer to making his return to the big leagues in the second half of 2024. At best, he could become a starting option for fantasy managers in NL-only leagues down the stretch, but fantasy managers in mixed formats can probably find safer options. The Venezuelan hurler has been extremely mediocre in his seven seasons in the big leagues after debuting in 2017, posting a 4.87 ERA (4.41 FIP) and 1.44 WHIP with a well below-average 15.3% strikeout rate in 679 2/3 innings over 145 outings (119 starts) for the Rockies.
The Colorado Rockies are sticking with the plan to keep right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) from pushing to quicken his return from Tommy John surgery last July. The team brought him to Cincinnati for the current road trip, but they are limiting him to bullpen sessions. Facing hitters will come later. The Rockies believe a September return from the 60-day injured list is, according to manager Bud Black, "reasonable." The 29-year-old started incorporating some breaking pitches into his bullpen session last Tuesday, so he's slowly making progress. Obviously, with a September timeline, fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting anything of Senzatela in 2024. The Venezuelan hurler has a 4.87 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with weak 15.3% strikeout rate in his seven years in the big leagues with the Rockies.
Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and started mixing in more of his pitches as part of his progression in his rehab from Tommy John surgery. "It was fastball, changeup, so that's another step. The next step after this is probably another bullpen or two throwing all his pitches and then he'll face some hitters. I don't know the exact timeline, but he'll be facing our hitters in a simulated-type situation on the field without a protective screen. That might happen on that road trip, we'll see. But he's doing great," manager Bud Black. The skipper added that a September return for Senzatela was "reasonable." If the 29-year-old makes his return in 2024, he's not going to make much of an impact for fantasy managers and can likely be avoided in redraft leagues.
Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black said last Friday that right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) could be "going to the mound next week" for a bullpen session in front of the major-league coaching staff. Senzatela was with the team in Los Angeles for their series over the weekend against the Dodgers and will stay in Denver when the team departs its next home series against the Cincinnati Reds for stops in St. Louis and Minneapolis. The 29-year-old resumed throwing long toss in early May and is now close to taking the next step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. There's a chance that Senzatela could be making minor-league rehab starts by the end of the 2024 season, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues shouldn't be expecting to have him available until the start of next season.
Antonio Senzatela Throwing Long Toss Up To 120 Feet
Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) is throwing long toss up to 120 feet and joined the team in Miami last week and traveled to Pittsburgh this week as a change of pace during his rehab work. The Rockies are counting on Senzatela to pitch next season, but he expects to make some minor-league rehab appearances this August and "hopefully pitch a game in September." His recovery has been going smoothly, but obviously he's not fantasy relevant at all in 2024. The 29-year-old Venezuelan starter went 3-7 last year with a 5.07 ERA (4.05 FIP), 1.69 WHIP, 23 walks and 54 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings over 19 starts for the Rockies in 2023. Senzatela hasn't been much of a mixed-league fantasy asset in his seven-year MLB career with a 4.87 ERA and weak 6.0 K/9.
Rockies Place Antonio Senzatela On 60-Day Injured List
To make room for the recently acquired outfielder Sam Hilliard on the 40-man roster, the Colorado Rockies placed right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday. Senzatela had Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the entire 2024 season, so he's completely off the fantasy radar. The 29-year-old Venezuelan pitcher was only able to make two starts last season before being shut down with his elbow injury, and he allowed four earned runs on seven hits (three homers) while walking two and striking out four in his 7 2/3 innings pitched. Senzatela hasn't been much to look at from a fantasy perspective in his seven-year big-league career, posting a 4.87 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 209 walks and 451 strikeouts in 679 2/3 total innings.
After a setback last weekend in San Francisco, Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) will require Tommy John surgery, according to manager Bud Black. Senzatela will now be unable to return this year and will also likely miss most, if not all, of the 2024 campaign. The 28-year-old initially landed on the injured list on May 12 with a sprained UCL in his right elbow. Before the injury, he had gone 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA (8.11 FIP), 1.17 WHIP, two walks and four strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings over only two starts. Any fantasy managers that were still hanging onto Senzatela in very deep redraft leagues can now officially send him to the waiver wire safely.
