Count how many Rockies you know on the Opening Day roster, closer on IL

We know now the 26 men the Colorado Rockies will begin their 2023 season with as they announced their Opening Day roster hours ahead of Thursday’s first game.

The Rockies square off with the Padres in San Deigo to begin the season and then have a set with the Dodgers up the road before coming home to Colorado for their Home Opener next week. German Marquez was announced by Bud Black as the starting pitcher for Opening Day last week and other staples of the roster like Kris Bryant and Charlie Blackmon are all there.

The final roster spots began being dolled out in the final days of camp when prospect Michael Toglia was sent down and Mike Moustakas learned he would be returning to the show. But the bigger story might be who isn’t on the roster, given a multitude of injuries suffered by the team in spring training. Gold Glover Brendan Rodgers starts the season on the Injured List and may miss the entire season. Also missing is starter Antonio Senzatela, relievers Lucas Gilbreath and Tyler Kinley and outfielders Randal Grichuk and Sean Bouchard.

Starting pitchers: German Marquez, Kyle Freeland (L), Jose Ureña, Austin Gomber (L), Ryan Feltner

The rotation will go in that order with Freeland seemingly in line to pitch another Home Opener in front of his hometown fans.

Relief pitchers: Jake Bird, Pierce Johnson, Dinelson Lamet, Justin Lawrence, Connor Seabold, Ty Blach (L), Brad Hand (L), Brent Suter (L)

Bird takes the place of Daniel Bard who will miss the start of the season on the IL. Lawrence could fill in as the closer in the meantime in what is a mostly new-look Rockies bullpen. Brad Hand was once one of the game’s better bullpen arms so look for him to maybe get some late-inning work. Bard is out with anxiety, he did struggle at the World Baseball Classic.

Catchers: Elias Díaz, Brian Serven

Infielders: C.J. Cron, Ryan McMahon, Elehuris Montero, Mike Moustakas, Ezequiel Tovar, Alan Trejo

Tovar is one of the six Rockies who are on an Opening Day roster for the first time, joining Bird, Feltner, Seabold, Serven, and Montero. Cron becomes the first first baseman to start on consecutive Opening Days since Todd Helton.

Outfielders: Charlie Blackmon, Kris Bryant, Yonathan Daza, Jurickson Profar

Randal Grichuk begins on the 10-day injured list, and Profar will make his Rockies debut in the coming days. Blackmon is the longest-tenured active Rockies player and he is entering his 13th Major League season. Now on his 10th career Opening Day roster, he passes Carlos González and Troy Tulowitzki for the second-most in franchise history behind Todd Helton’s 16.

Infielder/Outfielder (1): Harold Castro

10-Day Injured List (1): OF Randal Grichuk

15-Day Injured List (2): RHP Daniel Bard, RHP Antonio Senzatela

60-Day Injured List (5): OF Sean Bouchard, LHP Lucas Gilbreath, RHP Tyler Kinley, INF Brendan Rodgers, LHP Ryan Rolison

First pitch of the Rockies season is Thursday at 7:40 p.m. in San Diego. Their home opener is on Thursday, April 6 at 2:10 p.m. against the Washington Nationals.

This is how the Rockies will lineup for Game 1:
CF Yonathan Daza
RF Kris Bryant
DH Charlie Blackmon
1B C.J. Cron
3B Elehuris Montero
2B Ryan McMahon
C Elias Díaz
LF Harold Castro
SS Ezequiel Tovar
SP Germán Márquez