The Rockies placed Bird on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right groin strain.
Bird sustained the injury in his most recent relief appearance in Saturday's 8-7 win over the Nationals and won't be eligible to return from the IL until July 8. The right-hander had recently returned from a month-long stay on the shelf due to elbow inflammation and made just three appearances out of the Colorado bullpen before being shut down again with a new injury.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Removed from game
Rotowire
Bird was taken out of Saturday's game against the Nationals with a groin injury, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.
Bird had allowed one run on two hits and a walk in one-third of an inning before he was checked out by trainers and removed from the contest. While the severity of the groin injury is unclear, it's at least a small positive that his removal wasn't related to the elbow inflammation that sidelined him for almost a month.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Scoreless appearance in return
Rotowire
Bird allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two across a scoreless inning Monday against the Dodgers.
Bird returned after a month-long absence due to an elbow injury. He pitched in the sixth inning with the Rockies down 3-1. While the team brought him back in a low-leverage situation, Bird is tied for fourth on the team with four holds this season.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Returns from IL
Rotowire
The Rockies reinstated Bird (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Monday.
Bird had been on the IL since May 19 due to right elbow inflammation. Over his three rehab appearances with Triple-A Albuquerque and the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Bird allowed one earned run while striking out five over three innings. The 28-year-old right-hander should settle into a middle-relief or setup role for the Rockies as the team begins a four-game series Monday against the Dodgers.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Throwing again at Triple-A
Rotowire
Bird (elbow) will make another rehab appearance at Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.
After beginning his rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League, Bird pitched a scoreless inning with Albuquerque on Thursday and will come out of the bullpen again Saturday. A return to the big-league roster seems imminent for Bird, who's eligible to return any time.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Begins rehab assignment
Rotowire
Bird (elbow) struck out two and allowed a solo home run in his first rehab appearance with the Rockies' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate on Monday.
Bird has been shelved since mid-May with right elbow inflammation but is on the comeback trail. He'll likely move up to a higher affiliate eventually to continue his rehab assignment but should be ready to return from the 15-day injured list and take back a spot in the Colorado bullpen sooner rather than later.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Out with elbow inflammation
Rotowire
Bird was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with right elbow inflammation, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.
It's unclear when the injury first surfaced for Bird, but he struggled in his past three outings with six walks and four runs allowed. The 28-year-old will be eligible to return in early June, but a longer absence wouldn't be surprising given it's an elbow injury.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Saves possible this weekend
Rotowire
Bird could be in the mix for save opportunities this weekend in Pittsburgh after Colorado placed closer Justin Lawrence on the paternity list Friday.
Bird has one save and two holds in 13 outings this season, though he has an unimpressive 5.52 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 8:7 K:BB over 14.2 innings. Nick Mears could also be an option, but neither pitcher offers much fantasy upside since Lawrence should be back in a few days, plus the Rockies have just three saves as a team this season.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Takes loss in extra innings
Rotowire
Bird (0-1) allowed one hit and one unearned run across two-thirds of an inning Monday against the Phillies.
Bird entered the game after other high-leverage options in the Rockies bullpen, most notably Justin Lawrence. With a runner starting the frame on second base, Bird got two quick outs before allowing a single that plated the game-winning run. The Rockies have shuffled reliever roles to begin the season, but Bird still has the only save for the team. It's unclear if he is truly in the mix for saves, as he has allowed at least one earned run in three of his nine appearances and has a 1.66 WHIP with a 4:3 K:B across 9.2 innings.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Notches first save
Rotowire
Bird recorded one out to earn a save over Arizona on Monday.
Bird entered the game with two outs and the bases jammed in a 7-5 game and forced Eugenio Suarez to fly out after Nick Mears couldn't finish off the inning. Bird has one save and a hold while registering a 5.14 ERA through seven innings this season. Justin Lawrence picked up a hold with a scoreless eighth inning.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Leading off in bullpen day
Rotowire
Bird is scheduled to serve as the Rockies' starting pitcher Monday in Washington in what is expected to be a bullpen day, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Bird tossed a 12-pitch inning Saturday and hasn't recorded more than six outs in any appearance since late April, so he's unlikely to work more than once through the Nationals batting order before bowing out of the contest. The Rockies haven't designated a primary pitcher to work behind Bird, but Triple-A Albuquerque starter Karl Kauffmann is on the taxi squad and could be activated ahead of Monday's contest to give Colorado some added length out of the bullpen.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Pitches two scoreless innings
Rotowire
Bird did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing two hits over two scoreless innings against Cincinnati. He struck out one and did not walk a batter.
Bird did his job as an opener Wednesday, hurling two shutout innings before being relieved by Karl Kauffmann to start the third. The right-hander allowed two hits but did not walk a batter for the fourth time in his last five appearances as the Rockies lost their eighth straight. His ERA now sits at 4.73 in June, though he has not allowed a run in three of the last four games in which he's taken the mound.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Starting Wednesday's game
Rotowire
Bird is slated to serve as the Rockies' starting pitcher in Wednesday's game against the Reds in Cincinnati, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
Bird will get the starting nod Wednesday after the Rockies had to adjust their plans for the series finale in Cincinnati for a third time. Kyle Freeland was initially slated to take the hill Wednesday before being pushed back to the weekend after falling ill, and now Connor Seabold won't be able to start Wednesday as anticipated after picking up an arm injury. The Rockies recalled Karl Kauffmann from Triple-A Albuquerque, but he won't be able to arrive in Cincinnati in time for the game and isn't expected to be available in bulk relief, per Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com. As a result, the Rockies may be left with few choices other than to let Bird work as long as he can remain effective, even though he hasn't covered more than three innings in any of his 35 relief appearances on the season.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Could see save chances
Rotowire
Rockies manager Bud Black suggested Friday that Bird could work into the saves mix, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
Black is seeking a replacement for Pierce Johnson, who officially lost his hold on the closer role after blowing another save chance Thursday against the Giants. Justin Lawrence is also said to be in the running for more ninth-inning opportunities. Bird, 27, has posted a sharp 3.05 ERA and 43:13 K:BB in 30 appearances (41.1 innings) this season.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Tossed Sunday
Rotowire
Bird was ejected from Sunday's game against the Phillies, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Bird gestured toward the Philadelphia dugout after he finished off a scoreless seventh inning, which resulted in the benches clearing. The right-hander needed 20 pitches to get through the frame, so he was likely done for the day regardless. Bryce Harper was also ejected for the Phillies.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Recalled from Triple-A
Rotowire
The Rockies recalled Bird from Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
He'll fill the Opening Day bullpen spot left vacant by Daniel Bard, who was placed on the 15-day IL in a corresponding move as he battles anxiety. Bird, 27, struggled to a 4.91 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 47.2 innings out of the Colorado bullpen in 2022.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Sent down to Triple-A
Rotowire
Bird was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque by the Rockies on Saturday.
Bird made just two appearances in the Cactus League before being moved down, and he allowed three runs -- two earned -- with two walks and a strikeout over 1.2 innings of work. The right-hander will likely be back with Colorado at some point in the season, but for now Bird will report to the Isotopes and work in the Pacific Coast League.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Makes spring debut
Rotowire
Bird (oblique) allowed one hit in a scoreless inning of relief in Tuesday's 14-2 loss to the Padres in Cactus League play.
Bird faced four batters in his spring debut, which had been delayed after he suffered a left oblique strain early in spring training. The injury initially seemed to put him in line to open the season on the injured list, but as a reliever who never threw more than 43 pitches in any of his 38 appearances in 2022, he probably won't require much time to build up. Per Thomas Harding of MLB.com, Bird is listed among the Rockies' available relievers for Friday's game against Milwaukee.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Tosses bullpen session
Rotowire
Bird (oblique) threw his first bullpen session of the spring Saturday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Time appears tight for Bird to get ramped up by Opening Day, but he reportedly still has a chance. He recorded a 4.91 ERA in 47.2 innings of relief as a 26-year-old rookie last season.
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Rockies' Jake Bird: Iffy for Opening Day
Rotowire
Rockies manager Bud Black said Wednesday that Bird is expected to be sidelined for the next 4-to-6 weeks due to a left oblique strain, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
Since the Rockies are scheduled to begin their season March 30 in San Diego, Black acknowledged that "it will be close" for Bird to make a full recovery from the injury in time for Opening Day. Even if Bird's recovery from the oblique injury veers closer to the short end of the timetable, he may not have sufficient time to complete a throwing progression in advance of the regular season. As a rookie last season, Bird made 38 appearances out of the Colorado bullpen and logged a 4.91 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 47.2 innings.
