Kyle Freeland, Brendan Rodgers might re-join Rockies before end of the month

There is potentially good news on the Rockies’ near horizon.

Left-handed starter Kyle Freeland and second baseman Brendan Rodgers are beginning their rehab stints at Triple-A Albuquerque this weekend and could rejoin the Rockies before the end of the month.

Freeland, returning from the strained shoulder he suffered in a Cactus League game on March 23, is scheduled to pitch Saturday night at El Paso, Texas, and then pitch again for the Isotopes next Thursday vs. Oklahoma City. At that point, Freeland might be ready to re-join the Rockies.

“He’ll make two starts (at Triple-A) and then we’ll assess where he is,” manager Bud Black said Thursday prior to Colorado’s game against Cincinnati at Coors Field.

Rodgers, who strained his right hamstring March 13, is scheduled to start at second base Friday night for Albuquerque. There is no set timetable for his return to the majors, but he’s ready to test his hamstring in full-speed game action.

When Freeland spiked a pitch and immediately grabbed the back of his shoulder on March 23, Black and Freeland feared the worst. But now the lefty is throwing hard and building up his pitch count.

“Saturday, Kyle’s going to throw 60 to 70 pitches,” Black said. “He’s built up (arm strength) and we feel good about it. And Kyle feels great.”

Freeland has thus far cleared every physical hurdle, but he also must overcome the fear of injuring his shoulder again.

“My main question to him, over the last three weeks was, ‘Are you mentally in a good spot and confident to go out and compete? And to turn the ball loose?’ ” Black said. “And he’s reassured me that he is. And it’s been (indicated) by the way he’s thrown. So I’m excited to hear the game report on Saturday, to see how we did.”

The Rockies have been extra-careful with Rodgers, especially because he dealt with a hamstring issue last summer at the Rockies’ alternative camp. Rodgers, 24, had shoulder surgery in July 2019 and missed the rest of that season.

Black said Rodgers needs time to build up game stamina and face live pitching before he’ll get called up.

Helton headed to Hall. Former Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, one of the greatest players in University of Tennessee baseball history, has been selected for induction into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, the College Baseball Foundation announced Thursday.

Helton is one of 14 members who will be inducted as part of the virtual College Baseball Night of Champions ceremony scheduled for June 26. Helton, a Knoxville native, still holds the Volunteers’ record for career home runs (38), RBIs (238), walks (147) and saves (23). He also holds single-season records for runs batted in (92 in 1995), earned run average (0.89 in 1994) and saves (12 in 1995).

In his final season, Helton helped lead the Volunteers to SEC regular-season and tournament titles, as well as their first College World Series appearance in 44 years.

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