DENVER -- Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano was scratched from Saturday night’s scheduled start against the Giants because of back spasms. Rookie lefty and No. 11 Rockies prospect Sean Sullivan was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque and started in Sugano’s place.
In other pitching news, the Rockies placed reliever Seth Halvorsen on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation and added veteran righty reliever Jordan Romano -- owner of 117 saves over eight Major League seasons -- from Albuquerque.
Sugano (8-4, 4.80 ERA in 16 starts) has been a solid rotation member this season, but has run into nagging issues lately. He was backed up from the series with the Marlins earlier this week to Saturday to allow a split fingernail to heal. The back injury flared in the interim, and forced the Rockies to place him on the 15-day IL (retroactive to July 1).
“I’ll say about three days ago, I started to feel discomfort – kind of like a feeling of throwing my back out – but it’s getting better day by day,” Sugano said through interpreter Yuko Sakurai. “I played catch yesterday with no problem. It’s getting better and better, but I didn’t feel confident enough to start today.”
Sullivan, 23, a second-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2023, made his Major League debut on June 12 and was 0-2 with an 8.64 ERA over four starts entering Saturday.
Romano, 33, began this season with the Angels (0-2, 10.13 ERA, four saves in 11 games) before being released on April 27. He signed with the Rockies on a Minor League deal on May 6, worked at the team’s performance lab in Scottsdale, Ariz., and pitched a game in the Arizona Complex League before joining Albuquerque (0-1, 4.15 in nine games).
Romano pitched previously with the Blue Jays (2019-24) and Phillies (2025). He dealt with an elbow injury during his final year in Toronto, and middle finger numbness and neck stiffness with Philadelphia, but has regained his health.
He is being reunited with Rockies bullpen coach Matt Buschmann, one of his coaches in Toronto.
“This was a good spot, honestly,” Romano said. “Buschmann and some of the pitching guys put together a plan of what I needed to work on, I executed the plan and now I am here. I didn’t want to rush it, and it worked out.”
In addition to rekindling his ability to get ahead in counts, Romano worked on two new pitches -- a sweeper and sinker -- to go with his fastball and slider.
Halvorsen (0-1, 4.74 ERA in 21 appearances) has bounced between Colorado and Albuquerque this season.