Roster Moves: Colorado Rockies Activate Daniel Bard After Anxiety Issues

The Colorado Rockies have activated relief pitcher Daniel Bard from the 15-day injured list, the club announced Wednesday morning. In a corresponding roster move, Colorado optioned right-handed pitcher Peter Lambert to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Bard was placed on the IL to open the season as he dealt with anxiety.

"I want to use my story to just give hope for people to get through really hard things, especially in sports," Bard told Bally Sports last month. "But also people outside of sports and different areas, different walks of life. Different professions where they hit a roadblock and feel like they lost their ability to do something they're supposed to be good at.

"I don't necessarily have clear-cut, take-this-pill kind of solutions, but I do have a lot of things I know helped me and are a piece of the healing process for me."

Bard collected 34 saves as the Rockies closer in 2022, logging a 1.79 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 57 appearances.

“It’s a hard thing to admit, but I’ve been through this before," Bard told the Denver Gazette's Danielle Allentuck in March. "I have enough going on outside the game to realize what’s important … I’m extremely grateful to be in an organization that understands these things and is accepting.”

Bard, now 37, is a great story. Many thought his career was over, after making his final appearance with the Boston Red Sox at age-28 in 2013. Bard did not see a Major League diamond again until 2020, when he signed a minor league deal with the Rockies. Bard led the team in saves in 2021 and 2022. Earlier this spring, he represented Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

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