Sep 28, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jeff Criswell (46) delivers a pitch in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Rockies reliever becomes latest Tommy John surgery casualty, will miss entire 2025 MLB season

Jeff Criswell may miss the beginning of 2026 too.

Another day, another pitching injury. Another Tommy John surgery. This time, it’s Colorado Rockies right-hander Jeff Criswell who will be sidelined for the long haul.

The Rockies announced that Jeff Criswell is set to undergo the procedure, ruling him out for the entire 2025 MLB season, given the typical recovery timeline, and that it is already spring training, the setback could also impact his availability at the start of 2026.

Jeff Criswell’s value in the Rockies bullpen

Criswell, who turns 26 next week, made his major league debut in 2024 after being acquired from the Oakland Athletics in December 2022. Initially developed as a starter, he struggled at the Triple-A level in his first season with Colorado, posting a 7.51 ERA across 121 innings. The organization opted to transition him into a bullpen role last year, and while his 6.24 ERA in Triple-A Albuquerque was far from ideal, the underlying numbers were more encouraging. He struck out 30% of batters faced while maintaining a manageable 10.1% walk rate, hinting at potential.

Rockies reliever Jeff Criswell will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2025 season.

With the move to place Justin Lawrence on waivers it looked like Criswell might get some good relief innings this season. Gonna have to wait for 2026 now to see Criswell pitch again. pic.twitter.com/I7h7dIE0NZ
— Christian Saez🎙 (@DNVRSaez) March 2, 2025

Those improvements translated into solid major league results. In 13 late-season relief appearances, Criswell posted a 2.75 ERA across 19 2/3 innings, showing promise as a contributor to the Rockies’ bullpen. Heading into 2025, he was expected to secure a spot in the team’s relief corps, making this injury a tough blow for both player and club.

ALSO READ: Aaron Judge spring training debut: How the Yankees captain performed in first 2025 action

For a Rockies team coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons, pitching health remains a key factor in any hopes of improvement. While there are signs of increased depth within the organization, losing an emerging bullpen arm like Criswell only adds to the challenges they’ll face in trying to reverse their fortunes.

Injury

Rockies

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.