Colorado Rockies pitcher Jon Gray is uncertain for the start of the regular season, as he is currently suffering from an abdominal strain.
Continue for updates.
Latest Timetable for Gray’s Return
Thursday, March 24
According to Nick Groke of the Denver Post, Gray is encouraged that the ailment isn’t particularly serious:
Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post added that Gray was able to avoid an abdominal tear, which should lessen the timetable for his return to a “few weeks.”
Despite the fact that Gray avoided an injury that could have put him out of action for a significant amount of time, he was still disappointed that it could set him back in terms of his preparation for the regular season:
The 24-year-old righty was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft, and he is undoubtedly the most exciting and talented young arm in Colorado’s system.
He got his feet wet at the major league level last season in nine starts, going 0-2 with a 5.53 ERA and 1.62 WHIP.
While those numbers don’t look impressive on the surface, he struck out 40 batters in 40.2 innings and boasted a FIP of 3.63, per Baseball-Reference.com, which suggests he was extremely unlucky.
Gray was penciled in as part of a Rockies starting rotation that has a ton of question marks, and while it seems unlikely that he will be ready in time for Colorado’s Opening Day game against the Arizona Diamondbacks April 4, he should still have a spot on the staff when he does return.
The Oklahoma native has ace-type stuff, which is something the Rockies have largely lacked from their starters in recent years.
Pitching at Coors Field isn’t an easy task for any hurler, but Gray can be unhittable when he is on and his control is intact.
Missing a few weeks could mean that Gray now has a longer road toward realizing his potential, but based on how important he is to the team’s future, there is little incentive for the Rockies to rush him back.
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