5:15 PM: The Rockies have confirmed these transactions.
4:19 PM: The Rockies are planning to designate John Brebbia for assignment, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com. In his place, they are calling up fellow right-hander Gabriel Hughes. Colorado protected Hughes from the Rule 5 draft by selecting his contract last November, so this move will leave the team with an open 40-man spot.
Brebbia, now 36, was a journeyman from the beginning. He spent time in the Yankees’ and Diamondbacks’ minor league systems, as well as with two teams in the independent American Association, before he finally made his MLB debut for the Cardinals in 2017. After multi-year stints in St. Louis and San Francisco, he has become a journeyman once again. Over the last three seasons, he has suited up for the White Sox, Braves, Tigers, and Rockies. He also signed minor league contracts with the Red Sox and Twins.
The righty owns a respectable 4.12 ERA and 3.68 SIERA in 379 career games. However, he has had trouble keeping runs off the board over the last three seasons, and his raw stuff has certainly diminished. Presuming he clears waivers, his track record should earn him a new minor league contract, but he’ll have to earn his way back to the majors.
Hughes, 24, will be making his MLB debut the first time he gets in a game. The right-hander was a first-round pick in 2022, but Tommy John surgery in 2023 quickly derailed his professional career. In the years since, he has yet to look as promising as he did when the Rockies drafted him 10th overall. Heading into 2026, most sources agreed he was a 40-grade prospect, falling somewhere on the back half of his team’s top 30 list. He has the upside to be a back-end starter, but he seemed more likely to become a long reliever eventually.
In 40 2/3 innings with Triple-A Albuquerque this year, Hughes has looked much better than he did last season. His velocity is up, and he has significantly increased his strikeout totals while reducing his walk rate. On top of that, he has limited his opponents to just two home runs in the famously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. It’s an encouraging sign that he’s making the adjustments he needed to make to stick as a starter. Harding notes that Hughes is more likely to pitch out of Colorado’s bullpen upon his call-up, but this promotion is still a good sign that the Rockies like what they’re seeing from him as a starter at Triple-A.
