Márquez dealing with shoulder tightness; could miss next start

DENVER – Rockies right-handed pitcher Germán Márquez took time off during the All-Star break, but the right shoulder tightness that set in at the end of his last start of the first half never subsided.

The result was three innings with three runs on four walks – including one to lead off each inning – before Márquez exited the Rockies’ 7-1 loss to the Twins at Coors Field.

“I feel like there’s a little inflammation from my shoulder,” Márquez said. “It started bothering me the last day that I pitched in Cincinnati. I didn’t recover well. Today, I didn’t get hot.”

Feeling tightness as he tried to extend to finish his pitches, Márquez tried to reach five innings on toughness and savvy. He said he has not experienced this issue before. He figured it was an issue that comes with pitching in his first full healthy year since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.

After a gallant effort, Márquez acknowledged that he plans to talk to head athletic trainer Keith Dugger about missing his next turn in the starting rotation.

“He just couldn’t get loose today,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “That was pretty much it. That wasn’t the normal ‘Marqui’ out there today. We removed him – precautionary, that’s all. It just started tightening up between innings.”

The timing of Márquez’s pain could be difficult for the Rockies. With the July 31 Trade Deadline approaching, the Rockies could move Márquez – who will be a free agent at season’s end.

Márquez’s struggle occurred when the Rockies, who took the first two games against the Twins for their first home series win of the season, had a chance at their second sweep – first since winning three at Miami on June 2-4.

“It’s kind of frustrating, because we’ve started getting better,” Márquez said. “This day is kind of bad, but I think we are moving forward.”

With the bases loaded and one out in the first inning, he knocked down Ty France’s line drive with the heel of his glove and threw out Trevor Larnach at the plate, then struck out Matt Wallner. He forced Larnach to hit into a double play with two on to end the second.

Kody Clemens hit an RBI triple with one out in the third, but Márquez forced a France grounder that Kyle Farmer gathered to throw Clemens out at the plate. However, Wallner clobbered a 2-0 fastball for a 3-0 lead. The Rockies were already up against it facing All-Star Joe Ryan, who fanned 11 in seven innings.