Rockies plan to active LHP Austin Gomber for Sunday start

The Colorado Rockies plan to activate interim left-hander Austin Gomber, who has not played this season due to left shoulder soreness, and start him on Sunday at Atlanta, manager Warren Schaeffer said on Thursday.

Gomber, 31, is on the 60-day injured list after making just one appearance in spring training on Feb. 25.

The Rockies on Thursday optioned rookie left-hander Carson Palmquist, who was scheduled to start against the Braves, to Triple-A Albuquerque and recalled right-hander Anthony Molina from the affiliate.

Gomber threw 69 pitches and struck out five while allowing one hit, three walks and one unearned run in four innings of a rehabilitation start on Tuesday for Albuquerque.

He went 5-12 last season for Colorado with a 4.75 ERA, 38 walks and 116 strikeouts in a career-high 165 innings over 30 starts.

Gomber is a career 35-40 with a 4.86 ERA, 203 walks and 505 strikeouts in 648 innings over 156 games (112 starts) for the St. Louis Cardinals (2018, 2020) and Rockies (2021-present).

The 24-year-old Palmquist, the No. 5 starter in the Rockies' rotation, is 0-4 with a 7.77 ERA, 13 walks and 16 strikeouts in 22 innings over five starts. Colorado selected him in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Miami.

Molina, 23, has pitched one inning for Colorado this season and struck out one of three batters faced.

--Field Level Media