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Scott Oberg Undergoes Surgery To Remove Blood Clots; Career In Jeopardy

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Rockies right-handed reliever Scott Oberg underwent surgery Thursday to treat blood clots in his pitching elbow, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. The procedure could end Oberg’s career, according to Harding.

This is now the third surgery Oberg has undergone in an effort to cure this problem. The troubles began in 2018, and they led to a premature ending to his season in 2019. Oberg then missed the entire 2020 campaign and had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, though there had been optimism that he would return this year before suffering another setback.

A 15th-round pick of the Rockies in 2012, Oberg made his debut with the Rox in 2015 and went on to appear with the club in five straight seasons. Despite the injuries, Oberg put together an excellent stretch from 2018-19, in which he totaled 114 2/3 innings of 2.35 ERA ball. The Rockies signed Oberg to a three-year, $13.5MM extension after 2019, but it obviously hasn’t worked out as hoped.

Kyle Freeland Suffers Shoulder Strain

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March 25: Freeland will not require surgery, manager Bud Black announced Thursday, calling the initial reports from the team’s medical staff “encouraging” (link via Saunders). That said, Black also declined to provide a timeline, revealing only that Freeland will have more imaging performed “in a couple of weeks,” at which point the Rockies hope to be able to offer a more definitive timeline. Freeland will open the season on the injured list.

March 23: Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland exited his outing against the Athletics on Tuesday with a strained pitching shoulder, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Freeland left the mound in pain after throwing a pitch to the A’s Mark Canha, as Thomas Harding of MLB.com tweets.

There is no word on how serious Freeland’s injury is, but it does look like one that could sideline him for at least the beginning of the regular season. A healthy Freeland would follow No. 1 starter German Marquez in the Rockies’ rotation, having thrown 70 2/3 innings of 4.33 ERA/4.95 SIERA ball last year. Those aren’t great numbers – especially compared to a 2018 effort in which Freeland put up a 2.85 ERA/4.35 SIERA in 202 1/3 innings and finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting – but they were markedly better than the 6.73 ERA/5.19 SIERA he recorded over 104 1/3 frames in 2019. The 27-year-old has followed last season’s bounce-back performance with seven scoreless innings and six strikeouts against one walk this spring.

If Freeland isn’t available to start the season, the Rockies will open with Marquez, Jon Gray, Austin Gomber and Antonio Senzatela as their top four. Ryan Castellani, Antonio Santos and Jose Mujica are also on their 40-man roster, but Dereck Rodriguez and Chi Chi Gonzalez are in the mix as NRIs.

Latest On Tyler Kinley, Scott Oberg

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  • Rockies reliever Tyler Kinley has been sidelined the past two weeks with left oblique soreness, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Kinley is scheduled to throw a simulated game tomorrow but manager Bud Black acknowledged a season-opening injured list stint is a possibility. Bullpen mate Scott Oberg looks likely to be on the Opening Day roster, Black says (via Saunders). That’s welcome news, as the quality right-hander missed the entire 2020 season due to recurring blood clots in his throwing arm. Oberg underwent thoracic outlet surgery last September.

Rockies Select Contracts Of C.J. Cron, Chris Owings

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The Rockies officially selected the contracts of first baseman C.J. Cron and utilityman Chris Owings, the team announced.  Colorado already had one open spot on the 40-man roster, and another was created when righty Peter Lambert was placed on the 60-day injured list.  Lambert underwent Tommy John surgery last July and is likely to miss the entire 2021 season.

Both Cron and Owings signed minor league deals with the team within the last two months.  For Owings, he is returning for his second season with the Rox, after inking another minors contract last winter and then hitting .268/.318/.439 over 44 plate appearances in 2020.

Owings’ versatility already made him a pretty decent bet to break camp with the Rockies, but the decision was probably clinched after yesterday’s news that Brendan Rodgers will miss at least a month recovering from a strained hamstring.  Rodgers’ injury shuffled the team’s infield plans and made Owings’ ability to play second, third, and shortstop (not to mention the outfield) all the more valuable.

Cron was also making a strong bid to win a roster spot, as his demolition of Cactus League pitching this spring has the 31-year-old in line to serve as Colorado’s starting first baseman.  Playing for his fifth different team in as many seasons, Cron is surely looking to re-establish himself in one place, as his above-average offense didn’t stop the Rays and Twins from non-tendering him due to an escalating arbitration price tag.

Over 2586 big league plate appearances, Cron has hit .257/.312/.464 with 118 home runs, highlighted by a 30-homer campaign with Tampa Bay in 2018.  A knee surgery cut Cron’s 2020 season short after only 52 PA with the Tigers.

Brendan Rodgers Out At Least A Month

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The Rockies’ wait to see longtime top prospect Brendan Rodgers get everyday at-bats at the MLB level will last a bit longer, as manager Bud Black announced to reporters Friday that Rodgers will miss at least a month with a strained hamstring (Twitter link via Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post).

Rodgers, 24, has been considered one of baseball’s top all-around prospects since the Rox selected him out of high school with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft. As with most teenaged prospects, his ascent through the minor league ranks took some time, but he debuted in the Majors in May 2019 after utterly crushing Triple-A pitching that year (.350/.413/.622).

Adjusting to the big leagues was a struggle for Rodgers, who hit poorly for his first few weeks before being optioned back to Triple-A. He was quickly recalled when the Rox suffered an injury on the big league roster, but Rodgers unfortunately never got a real chance to right the ship and show off the talent that made him such a touted prospect. Just five days after rejoining the MLB roster, Rodgers himself went on the IL due to what was initially termed a right shoulder impingement. The injury proved to be far worse, however, as the Rockies announced three weeks later that he’d undergone surgery to repair a torn labrum in that problematic shoulder.

Rodgers spent the early portion of last year’s shortened season finishing his rehab at the Rockies’ alternate training site. He was brought back to the big leagues in late August but only appeared in seven games before again going on the injured list due to lingering problems in that right shoulder. He didn’t return before season’s end.

Following the trade of Nolan Arenado this winter, Rodgers looked to have an avenue to everyday at-bats. Ryan McMahon and Josh Fuentes were expected to work primarily at the corners now, clearing a path for Rodgers to take everyday at-bats at second base. Looking beyond the 2021 season, he’d be the likely successor to Trevor Story in the seemingly inevitable event that he lands with another club (be it via free agency or even this summer via trade).

It’s a frustrating setback for the Rockies and their fans, although if there’s a silver lining, it’s that Rodgers’ shoulder seems to be fully healthy for the first time in two years. He was having a monster Spring Training through 10 games, hitting .348/.400/.652 with a pair of homers and a double through his first 25 trips to the plate. At some point early this season, he’ll likely be given an opportunity to seize an everyday job with at Coors Field, but today’s announcement means Rodgers will open the year on the 10-day IL. In the meantime, the Rox seem likely to fill out the starting infield with McMahon and the versatile Garrett Hampson.

Latest On Rockies' First Base Situation

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C.J. Cron appears to be the favorite to claim the Rockies’ open first base job, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post as part of a reader mailbag. Signed to a minor-league deal in February, Cron is competing with Josh Fuentes and fellow non-roster invitee Greg Bird. Installing Cron at first would allow Fuentes to see action at multiple corner positions off the bench. That might make it tough to also carry Bird as a lefty bench bat, although Saunders notes there’s a chance all three players make the season-opening active roster, particularly if Brendan Rodgers is forced to start the year on the injured list after straining his hamstring. Cron and Bird would each need to be added to the 40-man roster if they make the team, although Colorado currently has one open 40-man spot.

Brendan Rodgers Strains Hamstring

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Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers left yesterday’s Spring Training contest after pulling up while trying to steal second base. He has since been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com (Twitter link). It isn’t yet clear if the issue threatens his availability for Opening Day. If healthy, the former #3 overall pick looks to have a clear path to everyday playing time at second base. Should he be forced to miss time, Garrett Hampson or Josh Fuentes could stand to see an increased role (the latter at third base with Ryan McMahon playing the keystone). Chris Owings is also back in camp as a non-roster invitee and has plenty of second base experience.

Rockies Granted Increase In Fan Allowance

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  • The Rockies have also been cleared to open the doors at Coors Field. With the help of MLB and state government officials, the Rockies can now host up to 21,363 fans per game, up from an initial limit of 12,500, writes MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.

Antonio Senzatela Slowed By Hamstring Strain

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  • The Rockies’ Antonio Senzatela has a right hamstring strain that will delay his Cactus League debut by two starts, manager Bud Black told Thomas Harding of MLB.com and other reporters Wednesday. Senzatela has been a regular in the Rockies’ rotation since he entered the majors in 2017, and the 26-year-old righty posted a career-best 3.44 ERA (albeit with a far less encouraging 5.02 SIERA) over 73 1/3 innings a season ago.

Rockies, Trevor Story Haven’t Discussed Extension

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Barring a contract extension, Rockies shortstop Trevor Story will be one of the most sought-after free agents on the open market next winter. The Rockies don’t expect to trade Story before the season starts, but they also haven’t discussed a long-term deal with the 28-year-old, Nick Groke of The Athletic tweets.

“Yeah, it’s a contract year, but to me, every year is pretty much that way,” Story said.

This doesn’t mean the Rockies and Story won’t find a deal in the next few weeks, as extensions often take time to come together during spring training. However, odds seem to be against the Rockies retaining Story, especially after they let go of third baseman Nolan Arenado – who partnered with Story to form a tremendous left side of the infield – in a trade with the Cardinals this month.

The Rockies did save quite a bit of money in giving up Arenado, which could help them extend Story. But the Rockies don’t look as if they’ll contend in the near future, which might help prevent Story from inking a long-term pact with the club. If there isn’t a deal in place by the summer trade deadline, Story will be a prime candidate to wind up on the move.

Story is set to earn $17.5MM in 2021, when he’ll try to follow up on a stellar three-year run in which he batted .292/.355/.554 (124 wRC+) with 83 home runs and 65 stolen bases in 1,571 plate appearances. He also notched 20 Defensive Runs Saved and a 10.3 Ultimate Zone Rating at short during that span. The entire package was worth 13.5 fWAR, which ranked 10th among position players and placed Story right behind fellow shortstops Francisco Lindor and Xander Bogaerts.

As of now, Story and the Mets’ Lindor are scheduled to be part of a loaded class of shortstops in free agency next winter. The Dodgers’ Corey Seager, the Astros’ Carlos Correa, the Cubs’ Javier Baez, the Blue Jays’ Marcus Semien and the Twins’ Andrelton Simmons are also on track to reach the open market then.

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