SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The need to rebound from his own spotty performance and the Rockies’ 103-loss season in 2023 led left-handed starting pitcher Kyle Freeland to live, eat and sleep baseball.

And that’s not just a figure of speech.

Freeland, selected for his third Opening Day start on Thursday against the D-backs at Chase Field, has looked like a different pitcher from last year, when he went 6-14 with a 5.03 ERA in 29 starts -- many of which saw him struggling through a dramatic drop in fastball velocity. 

In the offseason, getting his old self back was a 24-hour mission.

“I definitely had a handful of changes this offseason,” Freeland said. “It all started with trying to get my velocity back to where I want it to be. From there, it trickled down to making sure I’m getting proper sleep, putting the right things in my body, making sure I was getting all my work throughout every single week in the offseason -- in the weight room working out with the guys, staying in communication with our trainers on how I was feeling and if we need to back off a little bit.”

Freeland heads into Friday’s Spring Training start against the Rangers in Surprise, Ariz., with a 2-0 record and a 3.21 ERA this spring. He has 14 strikeouts and just one walk, all while his fastball is sitting in the 92-94 mph range -- well up from the upper 80s when it was at its slowest last season.

Freeland’s peak was in 2018, when he went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA, helped lift the Rockies into the postseason for the second straight year and finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting. There have been occasional surges since, but last season -- the second year of his five-year, $64.5 million contract -- alarmed Freeland into seeking ways to get back to his previous form.

A left shoulder strain landed Freeland on the injured list to start the 2021 season, and he acknowledged that, over time, shoulder maintenance waned -- partly because he did not always feel good.

The path back to effectiveness began late last season, when Freeland and Colorado’s strength and conditioning coaches pinpointed muscles weaknesses that could be corrected as long as he adhered to his between-starts shoulder program. Freeland also took a changeup grip that he happened upon during a late-season throwing session and began using it in games.

Manager Bud Black recalled a meeting at season’s end when each laid out an improvement plan.

“I talked about my thoughts on his changeup coming into play,” Black said. “I didn’t talk about velocity; he talked about that.”

Much of the offseason was simple work. The eating part? That was a joyous project for Freeland and his wife, Ashley.

“We enjoy cooking during the offseason,” Freeland said. “I started supplementing a lot more red meat for myself. It helped out. I feel I got good weight. Weight has always been a problem, especially when we get into the season, where eating schedules get messed up. So I stayed focused on making sure that I’m getting the proper foods into my diet.

“Then, getting the proper sleep at night [and] going into every single game is very key. I was able to get a good grasp of that this offseason.”

Now, Freeland wants to wake up and feast.

The Rockies are entering the final weekend of Spring Training with several decisions to make. And by acquiring infielder/outfielder Greg Jones from the Rays on Thursday, they showed that they don’t mind making their own decisions tougher if they believe they can add talent.

Here are the remaining roster decisions that need to be made:

• The final rotation spot seems to be the best of all worlds, with righties Dakota Hudson, Ryan Feltner and Peter Lambert all having shown regular-season-level stuff in their latest start. Though Lambert was touched for three runs by the D-backs, including a Christian Walker home run, Black chalked that up to some good at-bats from the opponent. Still, he thought Lambert was crisp.

One of the two who doesn’t win the final starting job will also stick on the roster as the long man out of the bullpen.

• Based on performance, a final bullpen spot comes down to four experienced non-roster invitees -- lefty Ty Blach and righties Matt Carasiti, John Curtiss and Matt Koch.

With just one lefty in line for the ‘pen (Jalen Beeks), there is a good argument for Blach. However, it’s possible the Rockies prefer to use Blach as a starter at Triple-A Albuquerque, given their general lack of starter depth.

Carasiti entered Friday having yielded just one unearned run in seven innings this spring, with eight strikeouts and two walks. Koch had seven strikeouts to two walks in 5 2/3 frames. And while Curtiss has a 10.29 ERA, that was largely inflated by one rough outing. He went into Friday having yielded one run and two hits over 4 2/3 innings in his past four appearances.

Right-hander Victor Vodnik, 24, who is on the 40-man roster after debuting and pitching in six Major League games last year, is also still in camp entering the weekend, but he has given up five spring homers.

• The Rockies will take a close look at the 26-year-old Jones, who just reached Triple-A last year with the Rays. Jones has game-changing speed, and while he has struck out a lot, he’s also flashed Minor League power.

The lack of Triple-A seasoning could be a reason for Colorado to send Jones to Albuquerque to start the year. But the switch-hitting Jones can play shortstop and center field -- two skill sets the club needs. His versatility could open up a roster spot -- potentially for first baseman/outfielder Michael Toglia, who has shown offensive progress this spring.

• Before the trade, two non-roster players -- infielder Alan Trejo and outfielder Bradley Zimmer -- were in line for jobs based strictly on performance. Beginning the season with those two, and also possibly promoting a non-roster reliever, means the Rockies would have to reduce their Major League 40-man roster by two. Righty starter Germán Márquez, who isn’t expected to be ready until around the All-Star break as he rehabs his right elbow injury, will be placed on the 60-day injured list to clear up one spot.

• Can Charlie Blackmon rediscover his power? Read more >>

• The offense wants to rid itself of embarrassing strikeouts. Read more >>

• Dakota Hudson is healthy and refreshed in Purple Pinstripes. Read more >>

• Stream live Rockies games in-market in 2024. Read more >>

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