Sunday's getaway gets going at 12:05 PM PT with Tomoyuki Sugano (6-4, 4.08) trying to keep the Rockies from getting swept by an Athletics club that has quietly climbed back to .500 at 35-35. Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.68) gets the ball for the home side.
Sugano is the steadier arm in this matchup on paper, coming off a 5-inning, 3-ER win over the Cubs on June 9. Springs' last time out was uglier — 5 earned in 5 innings against Milwaukee, grinding to 99 pitches without a decision. If the Rockies are going to avoid the broom, the early innings against Springs are the window.
Momentum is not on Colorado's side. The Rockies (26-45) have dropped 3 straight after a brief 2-game blip at home against the Cubs, with both losses in this series coming by 2 runs. The A's, meanwhile, have ripped off 4 in a row and are 4-1 in their last 5.
Roster availability is the bigger drag here for Colorado. Ezequiel Tovar (lower leg) and Jake McCarthy (illness) were both out of Saturday's lineup, stacked on top of an injured list that already swallowed Kris Bryant, Brenton Doyle, Jordan Beck, Mickey Moniak and Tyler Freeman. Sean Sullivan was just selected from Triple-A Albuquerque to plug the rotation after Chase Dollander was tabbed for likely UCL surgery. That is a lot of names not in the box score on a getaway day.
- Day-To-DayEzequiel Tovar SS — Tovar (lower leg) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Athletics.
- Day-To-DayJake McCarthy CF — McCarthy (illness) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Athletics.
- Day-To-DaySean Sullivan SP — The Rockies selected Sullivan's contract from Triple-A Albuquerque ahead of his start Friday against the Athletics.
- Day-To-DayBrayan Castillo RP — The Rockies announced Monday that Castillo is dealing with right lat tightness and has been shut down from throwing while undergoing treatment for the injury, TheDNVR.com reports.
- Day-To-DayCase Williams SP — Williams is currently slowed by a stress reaction in his right triceps, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayJared Thomas CF — The Rockies announced Monday that Thomas hasn't been participating in spring training while he recovers from offseason surgery to address a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist, TheDNVR.com reports.
- 7-day ilTyler Freeman RF — Freeman was removed from Saturday's game against the Brewers in the bottom of the sixth inning after he was hit by a pitch in the helmet, Kelsey Wingert-Linch of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.
- 10-Day-ILBrenton Doyle CF — Doyle (oblique) has yet to resume baseball activity, MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILBrent Rooker DH — The Athletics placed Rooker on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Tuesday, due to a bone bruise in his left knee.
- 15-Day-ILAaron Civale SP — Civale (shoulder) is expected to be reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Pirates in Sacramento, Jason Burke of Roundtable.io reports.
- 15-Day-ILLuis Severino SP — The Athletics announced Tuesday that Severino has been diagnosed with a strain of his right shoulder capsule and subscapularis muscle and will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILBrooks Kriske RP — Kriske (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for at least three weeks, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILDenzel Clarke CF — Clarke (hamstring) will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund SP — Hoglund (knee/back) will be sidelined for the rest of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his left hip Monday.
The A's are not whole either — Brent Rooker is on the 10-day IL with a knee bone bruise and Luis Severino is shelved 4-to-6 weeks with a shoulder issue — but Aaron Civale is expected back midweek to steady things. For now, Springs is the guy, and a Sugano start in a low-altitude park is about as good a stop-the-bleed spot as the Rockies are going to get.
Bottom line: the A's are -174 favorites for a reason, but Sunday matinees with a lineup this banged up tend to drift in weird directions. If Sugano can navigate the first turn through the order, Colorado at least makes the home side sweat for the sweep.