Who's closing? Bard is top option ... for now

Daniel Bard is still the Rockies’ closer, but manager Bud Black allowed that there is room for Carlos Estévez to receive ninth-inning opportunities.

Estévez has helped his prospects for further opportunities in two outings since his return from a right middle finger injury -- especially Monday night, when he fanned two and left the tying run at second base in the Rockies' 3-2 victory over the Mets.

Black said Bard, 5-for-8 on save chances, is still the closer when “rested and ready to go.” Bard has maintained top-end velocity, but his location has not always been sharp and counts tend to run deep.

Bard was not available Monday after throwing 41 pitches over two days, including 27 on Sunday afternoon. But Black has confidence in Estévez, who has yielded one unearned run, limited opponents to a .148 batting average and on-base percentage, and has nine strikeouts and no walks in his past seven games (eight innings).

“We feel as though with his frequency of how his arm is, how he’s been pitching, that’s probably the way we’ll go – with Daniel as the ninth-inning guy, for now,” Black said. “But that’s one of the reasons why I shot Carlos in there last night. He’s capable of pitching the ninth inning, as well. Hopefully, his recent performance continues.

“He’s had just a couple of outings since coming back from a pulley finger [tendon injury] but I really like the way he was throwing prior to that. Potentially he could be the guy. I don’t think we’re going to juggle them, per se. In a perfect world if they’re both rested and ready to go, Daniel as of now would be the preferred choice to pitch the ninth inning.”

Bullpen training

Recent options to Triple-A Albuquerque of relievers Lucas Gilbreath (on Tuesday to make room for starting pitcher Kyle Freeland) and Justin Lawrence (on Saturday) have a development component to them.

Gilbreath (8.59 ERA in eight games) and Lawrence (8.44 in seven games) each had solid performances in close games during their last terms with the big club. But the lack of Minor League games for both last year cut into development.

“We talked last night,” Black said of Gilbreath. “Two years ago, 2019, he was in Lancaster as a starting pitcher. So his volume of work as a reliever is not great. The move to the bullpen has happened recently. But I do think he's a quick study -- 25 years old, good head on his shoulders, good pitching conversations with the pitching coaches. He’s not that far away from being an integral part of the bullpen.”

Rockies director of pitching operations Mark Wiley, currently with Albuquerque, said, “He’s got a really good mentality. He showed that in the spring. He just really likes relief. I think that’s his niche.”

Lawrence pitched at the back of a couple close games after joining Albuquerque, with his assignment being to control his pitches in pressure situations.

“He hadn’t pitched for a while, and he’s really making strides – he was very impressive [while earning a save in a one-run win over Oklahoma City] the other day,” Wiley said. “We want him to get that stuff in the strike zone and have the ability to adjust when he misses. Guys with his [lower-arm] slot and velocity are going to get out of whack once in awhile. The key is to get back quick.”

Black said, “We saw a few hiccups here that hopefully in time will get cleaned up in Triple-A so that when he comes back he can settle in and be a guy we can lean on to put a zero up. I see him as a one-inning guy, throwing the ball in the upper 90s and a breaking ball that has great separation from his fastball in velocity.”

Bard, Estévez and Mychal Givens have the most experience among the one-inning relievers, but the success of the bullpen going forward will depend on the development of not just Gilbreath and Lawrence at Triple-A, but how quickly Yency Almonte (who has struggled lately), Tyler Kinley, Robert Stephenson and rookie Jordan Sheffield learn at the Major League level.

More pitching updates

Freeland’s arrival means righty Chi Chi González heads to the bullpen after some solid rotation work. He joins Jhoulys Chacín in long relief, with Black looking for opportunities to keep them sharp (preferably with the Rockies up big). They serve as depth for the starters.

Possibly emerging in the rotation and bullpen depth picture is former Giants righty Dereck Rodríguez, whose bid to make the team as a non-roster invitee was derailed when shoulder pain affected his spring performance. Rodríguez fanned eight in four innings Monday for Albuquerque against Oklahoma City and is looking to string together some good outings.