DENVER — The Colorado Rockies, after a spring full of injury surprises, are inching closer to getting healthy.
Chris Rusin returned to the big league bullpen on Sunday and worked a couple of innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits while walking a batter and striking out two. It was a decent performance that came a couple of days after Rusin worked 2 2⁄3 scoreless innings in Triple-A Albuquerque’s opener.
Fellow reliever Jairo Diaz—now at the tail end of his recovery from a torn UCL—is a little further away from returning, according to Rockies GM Jeff Bridich, but is progressing in his own right.
“Jairo threw a live BP today at Salt River and our plan is at some point soon for him to go out on an official rehab [assignment]," Bridich told reporters prior to the home opener on Friday. Diaz made two appearances in Cactus League play, allowing six earned runs on five hits in 1 2⁄3 innings.
David Dahl, on the 10-day disabled list with a rib injury, is still seemingly a while away.
“He’s doing athletic stuff now,” Bridich said. “They’re small steps toward ramping up his overall activity. We’re still in a waiting game, like with [Ian] Desmond and [Tom] Murphy.”
Considering Dahl spent only 18 games at Triple-A last season and offers roster flexibility because of the team’s ability to option him, it won’t be a surprise if he spends a little bit more time than usual rehabbing the injury.
Unlike Dahl, who is in extended spring training in Arizona, Murphy and Desmond are currently with the big league club. Both are healing well—”My arm feels good,” Murphy said Friday—from fractured bones and will undergo additional medical evaluation today, with the next steps in their respective rehab programs to be determined shortly thereafter.