Minor League Baseball

Colorado Rockies Top Pitching Prospect Sean Sullivan Recovering From Hip Surgery

Sean Sullivan has joined the Colorado Rockies for spring training camp, but the left-handed pitching prospect is still working his way back from offseason hip surgery.

Sam Connon

Denver, CO, USA; General view of the hat and glove of Colorado Rockies shortstop Pat Valaika (4) (not pictured) in the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field.
Denver, CO, USA; General view of the hat and glove of Colorado Rockies shortstop Pat Valaika (4) (not pictured) in the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Pitchers and catchers officially reported to the Colorado Rockies' spring training camp on Thursday, and the number of bumps and bruises is limited.

Manager Bud Black spoke to reporters down in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday. He said he feels good about where the pitching staff is physically, only singling out one arm that isn't at full strength.

Black said that left-handed pitching prospect Sean Sullivan is "a tad behind" after undergoing offseason hip surgery. According to the Black, though, Sullivan should be able to return to action "fairly quickly."

Sullivan was one of 10 pitchers who got non-roster invites from the Rockies. The 22-year-old left-hander hasn't ascended past Double-A to this point in his career, but Colorado still wanted to give him some reps alongside big leaguers.

The Rockies selected Sullivan in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He made three professional relief appearances that year, allowing one walk, zero hits and zero runs in 4.0 innings.

Sullivan broke out in 2024, going from High-A Spokane to Double-A Hartford. On the whole, the southpaw went 9-2 with a 2.11 ERA, 0.910 WHIP and 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

By the end of last season, Sullivan was ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the Rockies' farm system – third-highest among pitchers and higher than any left-hander.

It remains to be seen if Sullivan has a serious shot at making his MLB debut in 2025, but getting up to speed in Arizona this month will surely put him on the right path.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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