Rockies' breakout outfielder from 2025 lands on IL on Opening Day

The Rockies will be without a 2025 breakout player Friday night when they open the 2026 season against the Miami Marlins.

Outfielder/designated hitter Mickey Moniak will be placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to March 24th) after injuring his right ring finger while diving back to first base in Monday night's exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers. The announcement was made Friday afternoon.

With a right-handed pitcher on the mound (Sandy Alcantara), Moniak would likely have been the designated hitter, replacing Edouard Julien who is batting eighth tonight.

The Rockies responded by calling up catcher Braxton Fulford from Triple-A Albuquerque. He was set to begin the season there but was called up after Brett Sullivan's strong spring training performance secured the backup catcher position.

Moniak had a strong first season with the Rockies, establishing career bests in home runs (24), hits (117), runs (62), and OPS (.824) across 135 games.

He was a force at Coors Field, slashing .303/.348/.598. His home-away split showed a 173-point discrepancy. Struggling against left-handed pitching (54 wRC+), his primary role this season will likely be platooning at designated hitter and in the outfield against right-handed pitchers.

He wasn't the best fielder in the outfield, which likely explains why the Rockies took a chance on Jake McCarthy. Moniak's -23 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) was the worst in MLB.

A promising development in his 2025 campaign was his improved plate discipline. He reduced his strikeout rate from 27.3% in 2024 to 23.9% in 2025.

Colorado will undoubtedly miss Moniak's offensive contributions, especially his ability to hit the long ball, but the team should be able to maintain performance until his return. The good news is that he is eligible for activation as soon as April 3rd, their home opener against the Phillies.