Setback for Rockies: Rule 5 pick sustains elbow injury

Rockies' No. 28 prospect, RJ Petit, as ranked by MLB.com, suffered a right-arm injury, a UCL sprain, that will sideline the reliever for an extended period.

Mild sprains typically require 2-4 weeks of recovery, while moderate or partial tears can take 4-8 weeks, and sometimes longer. Ideally, this isn't a complete tear or severe sprain, which often necessitates 9-12 months of recovery if surgery is needed.

Competing for a bullpen spot out of spring training, Petit would have added more firepower to Colorado's high-velocity bullpen, which already features Seth Halvorsen, Victor Vodnik, and Juan Mejia. Standing at 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds, Petit can reach 96-98 mph with his fastball, and his best secondary pitch is a slider.

Colorado selected Petit in the Rule 5 draft in December from the Detroit Tigers. In 2025, he split time between Double-A and Triple-A. With Toledo in Triple-A, he appeared in 20 games, posting a 2.74 ERA in 23 innings with 33 strikeouts.

Petit's performance raised questions about a potential call-up to the Tigers during their postseason run last season, but the team ultimately chose experience over potential.

This spring, the right-hander pitched in three games for the Rockies. He threw three scoreless innings in his first two appearances before allowing three runs, including a home run, in the game he was removed from due to forearm tightness against Cleveland.

I initially saw Petit as a strong candidate to make Colorado's bullpen out of spring training, but now they may need to look elsewhere, such as Jaden Hill, to fill said spot.