Daniel Bard discusses anxiety while Colorado Rockies bullpen braves the storm without their closer

The bullpen for the Colorado Rockies was set to feature six pitchers age 30 or older on Opening Day. During the summer, another veteran – Tyler Kinley – would also get added to the mix.

With Antonio Senzatela out until May at the earliest and questions about the team’s no. 3-5 starters, the backbone of the Rockies would not be the starting pitching as it had been throughout the Bud Black era. Instead, the relief corps was set to step up and be the strength of the club.

Then, Daniel Bard reported to Team USA and had two rough outings, only to return to camp in Scottsdale, Ariz. still feeling the effects of those erratic appearances. He would make the brave choice to go on the injured list for anxiety and make the equally courageous decision to speak about it.

“It’s been great. I’m taking the input of the team and the coaches and mental skills team. Everybody’s been a piece of it. So it’s been really good,” Bard disclosed. “The support has been awesome and (I’m) just taking it a day or two at a time and (I’ll) go from there.”

Minus the closer who had racked up 60 saves over the previous three seasons, good for ninth-most in all of Major League Baseball during that time, Colorado’s bullpen has stepped up.

Entering Tuesday, the Rockies group of eight relievers were tied for third-best with 0.6 WAR, according to FanGraphs. Surrendering seven runs — only four were earned — during the 9-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, put a dent in their productivity over the previous 11 games to start the season and pushed them into a tie for 10th-best.

“If anything, it makes it easier. If they were out there struggling, blowing leads, I’d be like, ‘I probably need to rush this thing and get back.’ That hasn’t been the case,” Bard said of his recovery. “Honestly they make me feel like I can take the time. So it’s been a really good.”

“I love the fact that (Bard) mentioned our bullpen because there’s been — on most nights — a reliability there,” manager Bud Black explained. “There’s been a couple of games that got away from them, but that’s going to happen. Overall as a group, they’ve done a solid job.”

Pierce Johnson, graduate of Faith Christian Academy in Arvada, had waited over a decade since being drafted in the supplemental phase of the first-round by the Chicago Cubs to record his first career save.

Johnson’s got three saves now, third-most in the National League. Still, he deferred to Bard as the team’s closer and leader. He also thinks relievers like Dinelson Lamet, Tyler Kinley and Lucas Gilbreath, among others, are all quite capable of closing games for the Rockies.

“Well, I’m not the guy,” Johnson said of his role as closer. “It’s not closer by committee, but look — Brad (Hand’s) got 131 saves in the big leagues. Say there’s a day where a bunch of lefties come up, he probably will get the ball. Maybe I’ll throw the eight or I’ll throw the seventh, hand it to (Justin) Lawrence and go from there. So I’m not the closer. It’s just depends on that day.”

Bard has known Johnson for some time and not just in the baseball fraternity sense. Before reporting to Spring Training at Salt River Fields in February, the two spent time rehabbing together with the Cubs in 2015.

“I couldn’t be happier for Pierce. He’s worked really hard to get back to the big leagues and has been a really good pitcher last couple of years,” Bard said of Johnson. “Couldn’t happen to a better guy. He’s been lights out. It’s been really fun to watch.”

Black is also in agreement with Johnson’s assessment of the bullpen. The group of veterans has a lot of late-inning experience. Even Lawrence will factor in some save opportunities. 

“You could see Pierce getting saves, which he has. You could see Lawrence getting saves. Those two guys, primarily, I can see. Maybe even Brad,” Black shared. “(Hand) knows that (role). He knows what it’s like. He knows his heartbeat as far as he knows how to do it.”

Injury Updates

Bard faced lived hitters on Monday for the first time since going on the IL. There is still no timetable for when he’ll return to action.

Germán Márquez was placed on the 15-day IL (retroactive to Apr. 11) and OF Nolan Jones was promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque.

Jones, acquired during the offseason from the Cleveland Guardians, had an incredible start to his 2023, slugging six home runs and batting .359 over 10 games. More importantly, he cut down on his strikeout rate which was highest on the team during Spring Training.

Márquez was scheduled to start on Sunday in Seattle. With an off-day on Thursday, the Rockies hand the ball to Wednesday’s starter José Ureña on normal rest. If so, Monday’s game back home in Denver against the Pittsburgh Pirates will be the one requiring a replacement for Márquez.

Before the game, Black listed RHP Noah Davis, RHP Peter Lambert and RHP Karl Kauffmann as options to take the open spot in the rotation. Davis and Lambert are on the 40-man roster, while Kauffmann is not and would require a corresponding move.

Black also gave update on three other players during Wednesday’s pre-game media scrum.

• RHP Antonio Senzatela is scheduled to pitch on Friday in an extended Spring Training game after progressing to live hitters in the last week. He’s continue to lengthen out in hope of a return in May from ACL surgery.
• LHP Ryan Rolison has been throwing side sessions as he continues to recover from left shoulder surgery. The next stage for him will be to face live hitters in the coming weeks.
• OF Randal Grichuk played in an extended Spring Training game on Tuesday and recorded two base hits. He may still be a few weeks away from returning to Colorado’s outfield.