Heading into spring training, Lucas Gilbreath was counted on by many to be a key piece in the Colorado Rockies’ bullpen after his terrific 2021 performance. As spring training went along, Ty Blach continued to impress and his chances to crack the Opening Day roster got better with each game. As the spring concluded and the regular season neared, Colorado’s left-handed bullpen options looked set with the addition of Blach in a long-relief role to complement Gilbreath’s middle-relief profile.
Unfortunately, Gilbreath landed on the COVID-19 injured list, causing a minor setback to the start of the season.