Red flags went up last week for fans of the boys in purple when right-hander Jon Gray left a spring training start with a trainer after aggravating a left toe injury. Colorado’s presumed Opening Day starter would be the second major loss to a rotation that will already start the season without last year’s club wins leader, Chad Bettis. Fortunately, Gray’s injury does not appear to be all that serious, as evidenced by his strong final outing before the regular season begins.
Gray looked strong against an intrasquad minor-league roster, and most importantly said he felt no lingering effects of the foot injury that forced him out of a game on March 24. The 25-year-old struck out seven batters over five innings in his final tune-up before Opening Day, April 3.
“Oh yeah, no pain,” Gray said in the locker room on Wednesday after the start. “Just keeping it reasonable.
“I feel like if I had to run and do something I could.”
About the foot, Gray said “it’s been feeling good all week. I’ve been giving it plenty of rest.”
Gray did allow four runs on five hits over six innings, but he appears on track to start Colorado’s season opener in Milwaukee on Monday. Bud Black has not officially announced an Opening Day starter; however, Tyler Anderson and Tyler Chatwood are each scheduled to make one more Spring Training start with the major league camp before Cactus League play wraps up on Sunday. That makes Gray the logical choice to take the mound April 3.
“I’m ready,” Gray said about making the Opening Day start. “I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and us guys have been talking about it for a long time, too. We’re ready. It’s exciting. We’re going to get the ball rolling on what we think is going to be a really good season.
Colorado enters 2017 with high expectations, despite a series of injury setbacks throughout Spring Training – Gray’s the least of those concerns.
Chad Bettis was placed on the 60-day DL and is out indefinitely while he receives cancer treatment, depriving Colorado of its innings and wins leader from 2016. Chris Rusin, a top candidate to fill in the missing spot in the rotation, will be questionable for the Opening Day roster with an oblique injury. Last year’s second-half phenom, David Dahl, has missed significant time due to a rib injury and will likely be extremely limited in the first month of the season. Major offseason acquisition Ian Desmond broke his hand in a Spring Training game and his return timeline is somewhere in May or even beyond.
Despite all the injuries, Colorado’s Opening Day lineup will look very similar to last year with Gerardo Parra in the outfield and Mark Reynolds at first base. The Rockies have several young starters who will have the chance to fill Bettis’ spot, as well as that of departed veteran Jorge De La Rosa, in the rotation.
Gray’s health is paramount to Colorado’s hopes of competing in the National League West. He relieved a lot of fears with his performance Wednesday.
