When rookie right-hander Chase Dollander was unceremoniously demoted to Triple-A Albuquerque on July 7, he wasn’t wounded or embarrassed. He says his confidence wasn’t shaken.
He was ticked off. Or words to that effect.
Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer was pleased to hear that.
“It should make him mad,” Schaeffer said. “I like that he said that because that’s a competitive nature, and I know Chase Dollander has that. So that doesn’t surprise me at all. If guys aren’t mad when they get sent out, that’s a problem.
“Because what else would you be? If you get sent down at the highest level, and you really, truly, in your heart believe that you belong here, and you’re OK with that? That’s not good with me.”
Make no mistake, Dollander, really, truly, and in his heart, believes he’s a big-leaguer. And not just a big-leaguer, but a pitcher who can be the future anchor of a Rockies rotation that is in desperate need of talent and stability.
Entering the weekend, Colorado starters had a collective 6.58 ERA with a .317 batting average against. The worst starters’ ERA in franchise history was 6.19 in 1999, so the Rockies need Dollander to stand and deliver. He’s scheduled to start Saturday night’s game against the Diamondbacks at Coors Field.
The start of his career has been disappointing; there’s no getting around that. There have been flashes of brilliance, but so far, he’s not looked like the salvation of the rotation. The 2023 first-round draft choice out of Tennessee, who the Rockies are counting on to become an ace, had a 6.68 ERA through his first 15 starts. He served up 15 home runs in 68 2/3 innings, and while he struck out 52 hitters, he walked 33. His fastball command was sporadic. He got behind in counts and threw too many pitches.
The 23-year-old wasn’t shocked when he got sent down to Triple-A, but it did bring emotions to the surface.
“I was very frustrated and a little emotional,” Dollander said. “I knew what was going on, and it made sense, but at the same time, the competitor in me was angry.”
Angry at what?
“Everything,” he said. “At myself, for letting that happen. Obviously, you never want that to happen, but you have to use it, like fuel.”
Dollander returned to the majors last Monday in St. Louis and gave Colorado a solid start, pitching five innings, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out five but still walked three in the Rockies’ 3-2 loss. Call it incremental progress.
“It’s been about just getting in the strike zone with all of my stuff,” he said. “Just being able to do that and getting deeper into games.”
Plus, Dollander has to trust his stuff.
“For me, it was just about being too fine, and not saying, ‘Here it is, hit it,’ ” he said. “In college, I was kind of like, ‘My stuff is better than you. I’m going to put it in the zone and you’re not going to hit it.’ ”
Rockies veteran right-hander German Marquez, who brought immense talent to the mound when he debuted in September 2016 at age 21, has some advice for Dollander.
“He’s got the stuff, but to me, you have to be consistent,” said Marquez, who’s currently on the injured list with right biceps tendinitis. “You have to have your plan and you have to execute it, every time. My whole mindset was to use my strength against the hitter’s weakness. That was my game plan.”
Marquez loves Dollander’s 97.6 mph fastball when it’s thrown at the top of the zone.
“If he keeps throwing his fastball right there, nobody has a chance to hit him,” Marquez said.
Dollander has an effective 78.9 mph curveball, a cutter, a sinker and a changeup. However, Marquez believes Dollander should add a hard slider to his arsenal.
“He throws a hard fastball and you’ve seen guys trying to get ready for that pitch,” Marquez explained. “If he throws a hard slider, guys can’t (adjust). And it sets up his curveball, too.”
Dollander carries himself with supreme confidence, which is one of the reasons why the Rockies believe he has a chance to be great. But did his rude awakening to the majors shake him?
“No, but this game is really hard, especially in the big leagues, at the highest level,” he said. “You’re pitching at a place that has three decks, four decks. It’s different. A lot different.
“But nobody is going to put more expectations on me than myself. So I don’t really worry about what other people have to say. There are always going to be haters and doubters. But when I’m on the mound, it’s me vs. me. That’s the mindset I’ve taken, and it’s worked out.”
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