DENVER -- After throwing a 50-pitch bullpen session on Sunday morning, Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland said he’s targeting Friday in Milwaukee for his return from back stiffness.
Friday would be the first date he is eligible to return from the 15-day injured list. After Sunday’s aggressive session, Freeland will throw a traditional shorter bullpen on Tuesday.
“The reason was to help me be able to respond quickly, so we can avoid a live batting practice or a rehab assignment,” Freeland said before the Rockies' 4-2 win over the D-backs at Coors Field. “We can load a heavy bullpen like today, do an up-down, simulate a couple of innings as best we can. Everything felt great.”
Before the injury, Freeland had achieved three straight quality starts. In his most-recent outing, a no-decision against the Giants in a 10-7 Rockies loss on June 11 at Coors Field, Freeland went six innings and held San Francisco to three runs on seven hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts.
The back stiffness cropped up before Freeland’s scheduled bullpen after the game against the Giants. Freeland believes the injured list stint and attention to his back should prevent recurrence. His only other career back injury came in Spring Training 2020, when he dealt with spasms.
Freeland’s targeted return would be against the Brewers at American Family Field, where in four career starts, he is 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 25 innings, along with a .226 batting average against.
Freeland would replace rookie lefty Carson Palmquist, who started and went four innings against the Diamondbacks on Saturday night, in Colorado’s rotation. Righty reliever Angel Chivilli was recalled to take Palmquist’s spot on the active roster on Sunday.