Colorado Rockies pitchers David Hale, Chris Rusin dealing with injuries early this spring

Scottsdale, Ariz. -- No baseball season is complete without injury setbacks, unfortunately, and for the Colorado Rockies just two games into spring, pitchers are going down. Granted, the injuries—a slight hamstring pull for David Hale and now finger inflammation for Chris Rusin—are minor, but they're the earliest reminders of the inevitability of pitching problems.

"Fortunately it wasn’t too bad," Hale told Purple Row about his initial hamstring injury this week. "It’s getting there, though, it’s just taking time and getting back. I’m really happy to be back and [the Rockies] seem really happy about it, but unfortunately I have to nurse this hamstring for a few more days."

Hale, 28, was acquired nearly 14 months ago from the Atlanta Braves. In 2015 in 17 games (12 starts) for the Rockies, he logged a 6.09 ERA (4.74 FIP) in 78 innings, complete with 10.9 H/9, 2.3 BB/9, and 7.0 K/9. Now, he's hoping to make the big league club out of spring training, but first must deal with this injury setback.

"They haven’t told me anything," Hale said of the Rockies' short-term plan with him. "It feels like it’s been two months already, but it’s only been six days, so… they had me doing some manual squats on it and that kind of stuff, so they are letting me put weight on it, and walking is no problem."

It's not just basic leg exercises, either; fortunately for Hale, he's still been able to throw, even though the Rockies haven't put him on a mound yet and likely won't for a bit more time.

"I’ve been able to throw every day, not off a mound, but I’ve been playing catch on flat ground, throwing my pitches," Hale added. "Thank God I didn’t have to lose anything on my arm."

In just a few more days, Hale's hamstring problems will hopefully be a thing of the past as he competes for a big league job.