Colorado Rockies DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Colorado Rockies outfielderKris Bryant(back) is out of the lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. Rockies manager Bud Black stated he was keeping Bryant out of the lineup as he's dealing with a stiff lower back. This doesn't currently appear to be a severe injury, and Bryant should be considered day-to-day. The 32-year-old has been notably quiet at the plate to start the season, hitting just .120 (3-for-25) with one HR on the season. With Bryant playing multiple positions for the Rockies this season,Michael Toglia(outfield) andElehuris Montero(first base) are likely beneficiaries of his absence. Toglia and Montero are in the Rockies lineup on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Colorado Rockies first baseman Kris Bryant hit his first home run of the season on Friday in a wild 10-7 win over the Rays. It was Bryant's only hit of the night, going 1-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. The 32-year-old is off to a slow start, with the home run being just his third hit of the season. He's now 3-for-25 (.120) with three RBI and three runs scored. The alarming part is that he's not making much contact (62.3% Contact%) and chasing pitches (41.1% O-Swing%), resulting in 12 strikeouts so far (40.0%). The former MVP has been unable to stay healthy during his time in Colorado, so hopefully he can turn it around while he's upright. Managers who took him as a late flier though may not have the luxury or patience to squander a roster spot on the veteran.

Colorado Rockies third basemanRyan McMahonhit a walk-off grand slam against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, leading the Rockies to a 10-6 victory in their home opener. McMahon had a considerable day overall, going 3-5 with a double and a single, in addition to hitting the game-winning grand slam. The 29-year-old has been one of the few bright spots for the Rockies this season, now hitting .414 (12-for-29) with a 1.057 OPS over eight games. The lefty slugger has recorded a hit in seven of the Rockies' eight games this season, marking an improvement from past seasons when he was generally a .240 hitter. McMahon will look to continue his hot streak with his next five games being played at Coors Field.

Colorado Rockies closerJustin Lawrenceimploded on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays, giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits while recording just one out. Lawrence entered the ninth with the Rockies holding a 6-2 lead and exited down 7-6. The right-hander avoided the loss thanks to heroics fromRyan McMahonas the Rockies won 10-7. The 29-year-old faced many consistency issues in 2023 as the Rockies closer, and it appears he'll be a bit unpredictable again this season. After starting with a shutout appearance against Arizona, this was different from the outing Lawrence and the Rockies were hoping to follow up with. Nothing indicates that Friday's performance may bump Lawrence out of Colorado's closer role, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on it going forward.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones is being dropped to fifth in the batting order on Wednesday with the team facing the Chicago Cubs and left-hander Luke Little. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter is making the start in left field for the Rockies. The former second-round selection in 2016 by the Cleveland Guardians out of a Philadelphia high school hit .297/.389/.542 with a .931 OPS, 20 homers, 62 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 106 games for the Rockies in 2023. However, he's off to a pretty bad start in his third big-league season, going just 2-for-24 (.083) with a triple, two RBI, a run scored and 11 strikeouts in his first 25 plate appearances over six games. With Jones struggling, Ryan McMahon has moved up to No. 3 in the order. Jones' temporary drop in the lineup is bad news for his DFS appeal.