Bird, bullpen brethren building toward 2025

DENVER -- Jake Bird knows his role. On Sunday afternoon, it was to limit the damage in the middle innings after the Rockies fell behind against the Orioles.

Bird did just that with two scoreless innings, though the Rockies dropped a 6-1 decision in the rubber game at Coors Field. He struck out two and walked one as he looks to build up to a 2025 he hopes resembles last season more than the first five months of 2024.

“It’s just learning how to be close to your best as you can each time out,” Bird said last week. “It’s difficult to do with the ebbs and flows of the season.”

A last-place season is a day into its final month, which means the Rockies are more than happy to turn to what’s shiny and new, with the bullpen being a focus. Younger relievers Victor Vodnik, Angel Chivilli, Luis Peralta and Seth Halvorsen -- all 24 or younger -- have shown quality in their neophyte days in the Majors.

But any kind of turnaround -- yes, even a team riding six straight losing seasons can aspire to such -- has to include bounce-back efforts. While general manager Bill Schmidt expects to add veterans to the relief staff, turnarounds are needed.

Last year, Bird perched himself on that list of silver linings in a 59-103 season. He made a team-high 70 appearances with several striking stretches while posting a 4.33 ERA. Others offering hope were righties Justin Lawrence (3.72 ERA in 69 games) and Tyler Kinley, who finished healthy after right flexor tendon surgery in 2022.

All three struggled mightily this season.

Bird has a 5.04 ERA in a season that started with oblique soreness during Spring Training, continued with injured list trips for elbow and groin injuries and included an option to Triple-A Albuquerque to find his form.

Lawrence sustained what he termed “inflammation in the [right] shoulder capsule” that cost him time and affected his motion. He is carrying a 5.80 ERA.

Kinley’s struggles were mostly due to his lengthy quest to find his mechanics post-surgery. Despite a 6.29 season ERA, he is 5-1 with a career-high eight saves, and has held opponents scoreless in 19 of his last 22 outings.

Bird, being given longer outings to reinforce his motion, has 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his three games since he returned to the Majors. Lawrence has had spectacular blowups, but after recording two outs in the ninth inning on Sunday, he has not given up an earned run in his past seven appearances (7 2/3 innings).

How are they getting there?

Bird, 28, was so pumped at the end of last season that he “kept going pretty much the whole offseason,” he said. “Didn’t take a whole lot of time for myself.”

All was fine until the Spring Training oblique problem. He played catch-up until the groin injury forced rest in June and July.

“Kind of hidden is you try to learn from the tough times,” Bird said. “Usually, that’s when I learn a lot. I feel I know myself better and can grow with these guys around me.”

Bird said this year has led to a slight offseason adjustment.

“As far as throwing, I will definitely lighten up,” Bird said. “But the lifting and all the other stuff, I’ll do the same. I had downtime when I was on the injured list.”

Lawrence, 29, lost the closer role early. But among the Rockies’ full-time relievers, his 54 1/3 innings in 50 appearances, trail only Vodnik’s 64 2/3 and Kinley’s 58 2/3. Lawrence was removed with two out and a runner at third because manager Bud Black wanted to test Sunday callup Evan Justice, a lefty. Justice emerged with a walk and a strikeout.

“Coming off an injury, there’s going to be some fluctuation for a little bit,” Lawrence said. “The biggest thing is simply going out there and throwing strikes. This organization has a lot of confidence in me every time I go out there, so I’ve got to build on that going into next year.”

Kinley, 33, handles all the little gestures that bring respect, such as offering tips and encouragement to others after poor outings and answering for his own, like his role in a five-run ninth-inning blow-up in a 9-8 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday night.

Recently, Kinley has looked at what the Rockies expected when they signed him to a three-year, $6.25 million contract through next season.

“I didn’t have the start to the season that I wanted, but I was able to persevere and get a momentum change,” Kinley said. “It really teaches you that the length of a season is so much more than a week, a month, a first half, whatever.”