JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The road from John Sessions Stadium to Major League Baseball took Mason Adams through a trade and a 16-month comeback from Tommy John surgery. Tuesday night, that road is set to reach baseball's biggest stage.
The Colorado Rockies are expected to promote the former Jacksonville University right-hander's contract Tuesday ahead of his scheduled start against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET.
For Adams, the opportunity arrives after baseball took a sharp turn just as the Major Leagues appeared to be within reach. After climbing to Triple-A in 2024, he underwent Tommy John surgery on April 2, 2025, wiping out his entire season and beginning a rehabilitation process that lasted more than a year.
He returned to competition this May and began working his way back through the White Sox organization. Colorado acquired Adams at the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and only three starts with Triple-A Albuquerque were needed for him to earn his opportunity.
"It's awesome news," head coach Chris Hayes said. "The JU baseball family is so excited for Mason. He has worked and persevered through many challenges to earn this opportunity. We can't wait to watch him perform on the biggest stage."
The perseverance behind Adams' comeback was also evident during his time at Jacksonville. After transferring from Florida SouthWestern ahead of the 2021 season, he quickly became a central piece of the Dolphins' pitching staff and developed a reputation for delivering when Jacksonville needed him most.
Adams settled into the weekend rotation during his first year and earned ASUN All-Tournament Team honors during the Dolphins' run to the 2021 conference championship. In the decisive title-game victory over Liberty, he worked 6.2 innings, struck out seven and allowed only one run to help send Jacksonville to the NCAA Columbia Regional. Across two starts in the conference tournament, he logged 9.2 innings with 11 strikeouts.
He took over Jacksonville's Friday-night role in 2022 and emerged as one of the conference's top arms. Adams started all 15 of his appearances, led the ASUN with 108 strikeouts in 90 innings and recorded four double-digit-strikeout performances. His 13 strikeouts against Butler tied Jacksonville's single-game program record and earned him ASUN Pitcher of the Week and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week honors.
Adams completed his two-year Jacksonville career with 167 strikeouts across 30 appearances, including 26 starts.
The Chicago White Sox selected Adams in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft with the 401st overall pick. He steadily climbed the organization's system and reached Triple-A Charlotte during the 2024 season. Across Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte that year, Adams posted a 2.92 ERA with 110 strikeouts against only 28 walks over 120.1 innings.
Adams returned to game action in May, progressing from the Arizona Complex League to High-A Winston-Salem before rejoining Triple-A Charlotte. He made 14 appearances in the White Sox system this season, including nine appearances and seven starts for Charlotte, where he recorded a 4.25 ERA with 36 strikeouts over 36 innings.
Colorado acquired Adams and shortstop Carlos Vielma from Chicago in exchange for two-time Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle on Aug. 3. Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Rockies' No. 20 prospect, Adams made an immediate impression with his new organization.
He posted a 2.08 ERA over 13 innings in three starts for Albuquerque, beginning with four scoreless frames and five strikeouts in his organizational debut. In his most recent outing, Adams held Las Vegas to one run on three hits over five innings while striking out four without issuing a walk.
Across four Minor League affiliates this season, Adams has gone 3-4 with one save, a 3.48 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 62 innings.
When he takes the mound Tuesday, Adams will become the 15th former Dolphin to play in Major League Baseball, the most among current ASUN programs. He will be the first Jacksonville player to debut in the Majors since Michael Darrell-Hicks on April 11, 2025.
Adams is also the fourth former Dolphin coached by Hayes during his time on the Jacksonville staff to reach the Major Leagues, joining Austin Hays, Michael Baumann and Darrell-Hicks. Jacksonville has sent 137 players into professional baseball over the life of the program, with Adams joining San Diego Padres outfielder Austin Hays as the two former Dolphins currently on MLB 40-man rosters.
Tuesday's game will be broadcast on Rockies.TV and Nationals.TV, with coverage beginning ahead of the scheduled 6:45 p.m. ET first pitch.
