Worth Noting: Freeland Set to Pitch for Albuquerque Saturday in Rehab Assignment

Rockies manager Bud Black said Tuesday that left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland is cleared to begin a rehab assignment, and will pitch for Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday in El Paso. Freeland has been out since spring training with left shoulder strain.

He is expected to throw between 60 and 70 pitches in his first rehab assignment, which would indicate he is on the fast track for activation to the Rockies roster.

Brendan Rodgers, sidelined with a right hamstring strain, is also on the verge of joining Albuquerque on a rehab assignment. Rodgers was sidelined in mid-March. He has been running the bases and hitting at the Rockies spring facility at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale and figures to be playing for Albuquerque by the weekend.

The Rockies look at Rodgers as a starting shortstop, but in his absence, the Rockies have used an assortment of players at second base, including third baseman Ryan McMahon, and center fielder Garrett Hampson.

C.J. Cron was placed on the injured list retroactive to last Friday with a lower back strain. The Rockies initially hoped Cron would avoid being place on the injured list, but his situation was stiff concerning on Monday. With the retroactive move, Cron could be activated by next Monday.

THE NEWS WAS not as upbeat for the Padres on Tuesday. They announced that shortstop Fernando Tatis was placed on the COVID injured list — which allows him to be activated whenever he is declared clean from COVID as opposed to the traditional injured list which requires a player to be out minimum of 10 days.

“You’re punched in the stomach a little bit,” Tingler said in his daily media session. “First of all, you want to make sure for Tatis in this situation: Is he feeling OK? It was good to see him over FaceTime and he’s feeling well. But you know he’s crushed inside, mentally.”

The Padres also placed Jurickson Profar and Jorge Mateo on the COVID injured list because of contact tracing.

Tatis, who finished fourth in NL MVP voting last year and signed a 14-year, $340 million contract in the off-season missed 10 games in April because of a shoulder injury. He is hitting .240 with nine home runs, 14 RBI and seven stolen bases.

SO FAR SO GOOD for the Rockies as far as issues with COVID. They have not had a player sidelined yet.

“I’m not sure we did a lot different from other teams. I do know that we had a great commitment from our players, our coaching staff, and everybody downstairs here,” Black said. “A very, very, very high percentage of all of us down here have been vaccinated, and I believe everybody in the organization as well.”

— PITCHING PLANS Black said with five games in the next four days due to the postponed of Monday’s game with the Padres, Plans are for Jon Gray and Austin Gomber to start in Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Padres, who are scheduled to start Blake Snell and Yu Davish. In the first two games of Cincinnati’s four-game visit, Chi Chi Gonzalez is scheduled to start against Wade Miley on Thursday, and German Marquez against Luis Castillo on Friday. Saturday’s starter against the Reds is to be determined with Antonio Senzatela in line to start the Sunday final against Cincinnati.

Antonio Senzatela came off the injured list to start Tuesday night against the Padres. His next turn will not be until Sunday.