According to a report from MLB.com, Colorado Rockies ' reliever Daniel Bard got better-than-expected news on his injured knee.
Per Thomas Harding of MLB.com:
Better-than-expected news on #Rockies reliever Daniel Bard's left knee. Doctors performed an arthscopy/cleanup but did not need to do a meniscus repair as originally believed. The general recovery time frame is one month -- a little less than the 5-7 weeks originally believed.
If the recovery time is one month, then perhaps Bard could be ready for Opening Day. If he's not ready by then, he may not take long to return to the Rockies.
Colorado is expected to finish last in the National League West, but Bard is expected to be a big part of the bullpen, perhaps even serving as the closer.
The 38-year-old is a nine-year veteran who has pitched with the Boston Red Sox and Rockies. He's had an incredibly interesting career arc: He debuted with the Red Sox in 2009 and was part of their 2013 World Series Champion team, but then didn't pitch at all in the big leagues until 2020 when he resurfaced in Colorado.
Lifetime, he's 31-35 with a 3.74 ERA. He's appeared in 408 career games and has 66 saves. He saved 34 games for Colorado back in 2022 but had just one save in 2023. He did appear in 50 games.
The Rockies went 59-103 last season and aren't expected to be much better this year. The Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Giants have all gotten better this offseason, making the division even more of a gauntlet.
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