Two Rockies get bad news on injury front

Rojas won’t play WBC, will focus on Dodgers

It was a double dose of less-thanencouraging news for two former Albuquerque Isotopes and the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

Manager Bud Black said Gold Glove-winning second baseman Brendan Rodgers could be looking at surgery after he dislocated his left shoulder while diving for a grounder up the middle in a spring training game Wednesday.

Black also said left-handed reliever Lucas Gilbreath (2021-22 in Albuquerque) has been dealing with an elbow issue and may be facing Tommy John surgery.

Rodgers, briefly with the Isotopes in 2018, 2019 and 2021, was the third overall pick by the Rockies in 2015. He hit .266 with 13 homers and 63 RBIs last season.

“This setback is a tough one,” Black said of Rodgers. “I do really think that he was ready for a big year. I think he was in great shape, he was in a good frame of mind mentally, confidence. Everything was pointed in the right direction for success. And now this is a setback.”

ROJAS OUT OF WBC: Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas told reporters that he is pulling out of the World Baseball Classic with Venezuela because he wants to focus on his role as the likely starting shortstop for Los Angeles.

The 34-year-old is expected to get more playing time following an injury to Gavin Lux, who tore ligaments in a knee this week and will miss the season.

Rojas said he’d likely get more atbats this spring with the Dodgers then he would in his expected utility role with Venezuela.

NEAR NO-NO: The Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t get a hit in their 9-1 exhibition loss against the Yankees until Matt Fraizer led off the bottom of the ninth inning with an infield single off non-roster righthander Matt Bowman, the ninth New York pitcher.

Fraizer was erased on a doubleplay grounder, but Drew Maggi homered for the only Pirates run.

QUICK K: Well, that was a fast 1-2-3. Wandy Peralta needed only about 20 seconds to strike out Pittsburgh’s Tucupita Marcano on three pitches. The Yankees lefty who has always excelled as disrupting the timing of hitters can now take advantage of the new pitch clock.

“It’s right up his alley,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

I HEARD THAT: This was a different kind of pitch tipping when Minnesota right-hander Kenta Maeda made only his second spring start in his return from Tommy John surgery two seasons ago.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the PitchCom device catcher Tony Wolters was using was loud enough for Tampa Bay hitters to hear every pitch that was called. Home plate umpire Brennan Miller heard them all through the wireless system used by pitchers and catchers to communicate.

Maeda still threw two scoreless innings, allowing two hits. He struck out two and walked one.

“I said nicely done,” Baldelli said. “By the way, something to note, they knew every pitch that was coming.”

Maeda laughed when told by his manager what happened.

Baldelli said the device in Wolters’ ear was projecting significantly louder than normal, and it wasn’t very loud in the domed Tropicana Field with an announced crowd of 2,531.

A conversion with the umpires after the second inning tipped off Baldelli, and adjustments were made to the device.