As the Colorado Rockies prepare to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks for the first time on Friday, no starting pitcher is currently scheduled to take the mound against Corbin Burnes. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding is reporting that the Rockies are very likely to call up left-handed pitching prospect Carson Palmquist from Triple-A Albuquerque to make his big league debut.

Palmquist, 24, was drafted in the third round by the Rockies back in 2022 out of the University of Miami. Entering the 2025 season, Palmquist was ranked No. 9 in the Rockies’ Top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Starting the season in Triple-A, Palmquist has performed well in seven starts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Over 35 1/3 innings, Palmquist owns a 3.82 ERA with 45 strikeouts against 18 walks and has a .179 AVG against.

With a funky delivery that adds plenty of deception and a lower arm slot, all of the left-hander’s pitches play up despite them grading out as largely average across the board. His fastball averages only around 91 mph, but it misses more bats than it should, thanks to carry up in the zone from that lower slot. Additionally, he can throw two variations of a slider, such as a big sweepy one in the upper 70s and a slightly harder, cutter-ish one, both of which can miss bats. His low-80s changeup is also effective and hard to square up.

Sitting at 7-36, the Rockies have set the Modern Era record for the worst start through the first 43 games. A large part of the struggles has been the state of the starting rotation. Boasting a 7.00 ERA in the rotation, that mark is the highest in baseball and sits as one of the highest in baseball history. With injuries to Austin Gomber, who has yet to throw a pitch for the big league squad this season, and back spasms to Ryan Feltner, the Rockies most reliable starter this season, the established players have struggled. The veterans of Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, and Antonio Senzatela have struggled with inconsistencies, while rookie Chase Dollander has battled with growing pains as a big leaguer.

Palmquist would represent yet another rookie making his debut this season as the Rockies try to find a path forward to progressing as a franchise. An ability to draft and develop pitching has to be at the forefront of their process, much like it was in 2017 and 2018, the last times they went to the playoffs. Having fired manager Bud Black earlier this week, general manager Bill Schmidt is looking for growth from his players and giving someone like Palmquist a chance is a critical move.

An additional move will have to be made to add Palmquist to the 40-man roster and the 26-man roster.