Securing a series split with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Colorado Rockies (23-42) own the second-worst record in the National League. After going 14-13 in May, the Rockies started June with six consecutive losses and are now back to where they were to begin the season. Struggles from starting pitching, the bullpen, and a lackluster offensive unit have continued to contribute to their troublesome performances.

They will face a Minnesota Twins team that sits in the middle of the pack in the typically stagnant AL Central division. They went 3-6 in their recent road trip, stopping a five-game losing streak with an 11-5 victory in 10 innings at Pittsburgh on Sunday, as they begin their only homestand in June.

Pitching Probables

6/10: Dakota Hudson (2-7, 5.25 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Paddack (4-3, 5.26)

Much like the rest of the rotation, Hudson struggled in his first outing of June against the Cincinnati Reds. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on five hits. His vice continues to walk as he issued four in his last outing, but there is hope that he can keep his road success going. This season he owns a 3.41 ERA in six road starts while striking out 18 against 13 walks. Minnesota has a 40.8% ground ball rate, one of the lowest in the league, but still a good amount that Hudson will look to take advantage of.

The Twins will send Chris Paddack to the mound who also struggled in his first outing of June. Facing the New York Yankees, Paddack gave up seven runs in four innings but has shown a healthy number of strikeouts this season. Also aiding his good performances has been a lack of walks as he has yet to allow more than two walks in a start which means he’s in the zone quite a bit where teams can put the ball in play if they can make contact.

6/11: Cal Quantrill (5-4, 3.58) vs. TBD

While his start against the Cardinals wasn’t flashy, Cal Quantrill still threw five shutout innings despite the four walks allowed. Quantrill has continued to turn in gritty and competitive outings for the Rockies and continues to build a case for the team to trade him or potentially hold on to him for another season thanks to one more year of control. The summer months are going to be important for Quantrill and he’ll have to show his effectiveness more and more.

Due to the long stretch of games, the Twins are likely to go with a starter outside of the rotation for the second game of the series. This could signal a bullpen day or they find a way to bring up an arm to make a spot start.

6/12: Austin Gomber (1-3, 3.38) vs. Pablo López (5-6, 5.45)

June has not been kind to Gomber thus far as he has thrown just eight innings over two starts, giving up seven runs on 11 hits with six strikeouts and four walks. There could be a concern that arm troubles are still prevalent or perhaps it’s just a natural regression in the season, either way the Rockies hope that Gomber can find his footing again and limit damage while pitching slightly deeper into ballgames.

Pablo López was one the best starters in baseball a year ago but hasn’t been as crisp in 2024 as he has been more hit or miss on the mound. López has shown plenty of glimpses of his brilliance with one-run outings but has also shown some cracks like in his last outing where he gave up seven runs in four innings while walking six batters. Still, whatever struggles he has had, it hasn’t hampered his abilities to get strikeouts where he has 79 in 71 innings of work.

Injuries

Twins: Justin Topa: 60-Day IL (knee), Brock Stewart: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Daniel Duarte: 60-Day IL (tricep), Zack Weiss: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Anthony DeSclafani: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Rockies: Brendan Rodgers: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Sean Bouchard: 10-Day IL (ankle), Kris Bryant: 10-Day IL (ribs), Justin Lawrence: 15-Day IL (arm), Jordan Beck: 10-Day IL (wrist), Kyle Freeland: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jake Bird: 15-Day IL (elbow), Lucas Gilbreath: 60-Day IL (elbow), Nolan Jones: 10-Day IL (back), Daniel Bard: 60-Day IL (knee), German Marquez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Antonio Senzatela: 60-Day IL (elbow)