The Rockies announced they have selected the contract of right-hander Jeff Criswell. He will take the roster spot of fellow righty Victor Vodnik, who lands on the 15-day injured list with right bicep inflammation. The club opened a 40-man roster spot by outrighting righty Riley Pint a few days ago. Thomas Harding of MLB.com relayed the moves on X prior to the official announcement.
Criswell, now 25, was selected by the Athletics in the second round of the 2020 draft. In 2021, he made his professional debut with five High-A starts but then got more run in 2022. That year, he tossed 118 1/3 innings across multiple levels, with a combined 4.03 earned run average. He struck out 23.8% of batters faced while giving out walks at a 9% clip.
He went to the Rockies in the December 2022 trade that sent righty Chad Smith the other way. He has been pitching for Triple-A Albuquerque since that trade but without much success. He tossed 121 innings last year over 29 appearances, including 26 starts, but finished with a 7.51 ERA. He did strike out 23.7% of batters faced but walked 12.5% of them and also allowed 32 home runs.
This year, he’s been pitching exclusively in relief with some encouraging signs, having thrown 57 2/3 innings over 35 appearances. The 10.1% walk rate is still high and the 6.24 ERA isn’t impressive, but he’s been striking out opponents at a 30% clip. He’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
As for Vodnik, the club hasn’t provided any details about his injury but they have every reason to be cautious at this point. They are one of the worst clubs in baseball this year and well out of contention, so there’s no sense pushing a player through an injury, even if it’s mild. Vodnik has emerged as a key piece of the club’s bullpen this year, with a 4.04 ERA, nine saves and six holds.
