SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Lockout rules prohibited communication between players and their teams, which meant it was a good thing that Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers felt he finally had a firm handle on how to prep his muscles.

Rodgers reported to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday -- a day before physicals and the team’s first official workout -- with a toned chest but bulk that threatened to restrict his shoulders. His legs appeared muscular but trim.

Last season, Rodgers missed the first 44 games with a right hamstring strain. He then hit .167 in his first 10 games, but by season’s end he had produced a .284 batting average with 15 home runs. Since business, and communication with players, reopened with the signing of the collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, the Rockies have sought an impact bat. But they aren’t going to remake their squad, so they need homegrown players like Rodgers to grow into key members of the lineup.

The trick for Rodgers, 25, this offseason was to build upon his strong first year in the lineup, but not build his body to the point of diminishing returns. He believes part of his lengthy injury history resulted from overdeveloping certain muscles, which turned against him during the length of a Major League season.

Of note, Rodgers is thrilled to be able to talk to the team's trainers again. "You'd like to check in with those guys," Rodgers said, "let them know how you're doing."

Being physically fit in a classic sense never was a problem for Rodgers, whose genes from his parents seem to make building muscle easy. But preparing for a long baseball season is different, which meant early-career trials yielded a lot of errors.

His first trial in the Majors, in 2019, ended with right shoulder surgery. Teams only played 60 regular-season games in the pandemic-shortened 2020, but Rodgers only appeared in seven because of another right shoulder injury followed by a left hamstring strain that occurred when he was rehabbing his shoulder. The Rockies decided before last season to give him a clear shot at second base, but he had to wait until the right hamstring healed.

Of those injuries, only the '20 shoulder injury came from impact -- when Padres third baseman Manny Machado landed on him after leaping in vain for a throw. Rodgers dealt with other strains and pulls in the Minors.

As a result, it meant change, even if it meant going away from something he did well.

For example, in the past Rodgers has put a bar on the back of his shoulders and squatted 405 pounds. As a guideline, what Rodgers did is equal to what gobigrecruiting.com says a defensive back for a Power 5 college football program must accomplish.

But with the torque required to swing the bat, in a sport that could leave you standing for long periods then suddenly call upon all your athletic skills to make a game-saving play, having football muscles can be problematic. When doing a squat, the shoulders that help support the weight bar, the back that helps stabilize the body and the legs that push the weight upward are all stressed.

During his pro career, Rodgers has had shoulder, back and hamstring injuries, so he has backed away from one of his favorite exercises and has shifted to core mobility and stability.

“I don’t really back-squat as much,” said Rodgers, who spent the offseason in the Orlando, Fla., area, but has been in Scottsdale for a week completing his program with Rockies teammates. “I understand that you can have a lot of injuries later in your career just loading that weight, and I’ve had some stuff in the past. I’m focusing more on hips and glutes and not loading my back and putting my shoulder in weird positions that can hurt me.”

The halt to offseason business also meant there were no conversations about his position. Rodgers played 81 games at second base and 26 at shortstop in '21 -- his primary position when he was selected third overall in the 2015 MLB Draft, and the one that was open with Trevor Story exploring free agency.

The Rockies' reported signing Saturday of shortstop José Iglesias to replace former mainstay Story offered peace of mind to Rodgers.

During the offseason, Rodgers committed to second base. He needs to hone the anticipation that separates an average defender from one of impact. But his offense fits the position.

“I need to continue to hit,” Rodgers said. “DJ LeMahieu [and] Jose Altuve, they’re as consistent as possible. I showed batting average and a little bit of power last year. My goal is to boost the numbers from last year [and] have a better year.”