Rockies' Daniel Bard: Goes on IL due to anxiety

Bard said Thursday that he's starting the year on the 15-day IL due to anxiety, Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette reports.

Bard has a history of the yips -- it's partly why he didn't appear in a game at the MLB level between 2014-2019 -- and he said he's decided to be open and honest about his mental struggles. The 37-year-old right-hander had been set to operate as the Rockies' locked-in closer in 2023 after totaling 34 saves for the club last season. Dinelson Lamet, Pierce Johnson, and Brad Hand could all factor into the ninth-inning mix during Bard's absence.