SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies catcher Elias Díaz thrived last season because he developed split identities. Call them Dr. Pitch-Caller and Mr. Power Hitter.

Díaz set Rockies records for games caught (126) and different pitchers caught (33). That’s a lot of care and strategizing, and the struggles of the pitching staff during last year’s 59-103 season occupied much of his time and mind.

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Yet Díaz was clear headed when he swung the bat. He set career highs in hits (130), doubles (25), RBIs (72), walks (34) and total bases (199) during an All-Star campaign.

Díaz, who singled in two first-inning runs during the Rockies’ 4-2 victory over the Royals on Tuesday afternoon at Salt River Fields, thrived because he had his best year at separating the leather from the wood.

“The biggest thing was my confidence in having a plan, and believing in the process,” Díaz said. “It was having a plan every at-bat. I’m going to look for this pitch, make good contact.

“You have to separate defense from offense. It’s not easy. You have to do it.”

Was there a physical adjustment that made the difference between slash lines of .228/.281/.368 in 2022 and .267/.316/.409 last season? Well, hitting coach Hensley Meulens acknowledged that he suggested to Díaz that he scoot his back foot an inch or two closer to the plate and open up his front foot. But in Díaz’s case, this is not a game of inches.

It was a matter of the mind.

At the end of each inning, Díaz had his usual meeting with the pitcher and the pitching coach. And while the studious Díaz did his homework on the opposing pitcher, he relied on Meulens to give him specific points once his gear was off and his turn to bat was approaching.

“It’s harder for him, especially last year because we gave up a lot of runs -- it’s hard to leave a 35-pitch inning, then come in, put his helmet on and go hit,” Meulens said. “It gets weird for them, but then we get them out of it quick.”

Meulens followed that by clapping his hands as if talking to Díaz: “‘You’ve got to go hit.’”

That’s enough of a prompt for Díaz to flip his switch.

“It’s all internal,” Díaz said. “I’m in the moment.”

Notes:
• It was a return to game conditions for starter Cal Quantrill (four innings, two runs and seven hits, including a homer), who made his last “start” indoors because Thursday’s game was canceled due to weather.

“I did feel smooth, I felt clean,” Quantrill said. “I need to be a little finer, especially early in counts. The other team was super aggressive and I just need to be careful that I’m not throwing too many 0-0 pitches [that catch] too much of the plate.”

Manager Bud Black said, “It’s important, in the middle of March, how the pitcher feels physically. If the pitcher feels good physically, that means he usually feels good mentally.”

• Righty closer candidates Tyler Kinley and Justin Lawrence each threw a clean inning with a strikeout.

“Kinley is a guy we count on as far as mentoring the younger guys -- he’s a bit older and has been through the grind of a Major League season -- and we’re going to lean on him,” Black said. “He’s throwing the ball well, too.

“For Lawrence, he’s ready now to solidify himself as a bona fide Major League reliever for years to come. His fastball has life and velocity and the breaking ball is solid.”

• One of several roster moves the Rockies made Tuesday included optioning utility candidate Julio Carreras to Triple-A Albuquerque -- further evidence that non-roster candidate Alan Trejo’s experience in the position over the last three seasons has him in line for the job. Trejo has proven he can fill in at shortstop, which makes him valuable. He also spent part of the offseason playing in Mexico.

“I wanted to get some at-bats, I wanted to learn defensively, and be around my Mexican teammates,” said Trejo, who played for Team Mexico during last year’s World Baseball Classic. “But most of all I wanted to get experience in the box, facing different pitchers. The style of baseball was different.”

Trejo, 27, said part of his duty is lending experience to younger players, even if they are competing with him. That means Carreras, plus Aaron Schunk and Coco Montes (who launched a two-run, second-inning homer off Royals lefty starter Cole Ragans). Montes is the only one of the group with Major League experience.

• Left-hander Evan Justice, who made his Major League debut last season after a 3.49 ERA across 38 2/3 innings over three levels in the Minor Leagues in '23, continued his dominant spring. Justice, who has yet to give up a run over 5 2/3 innings in Cactus League play, yielded a hit and a two-out walk, but escaped the jam and displayed an enhanced ability to work inside to right-handed hitters. He remains a candidate to break with the bullpen.