The Rockies optioned Sheffield to Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
The demotions of Sheffield and Ben Bowden to the minors in the Rockies' latest round of roster cuts likely solidifies spots for the likes of Justin Lawrence, Ashton Goudeau and Ty Blach in Colorado's Opening Day bullpen. Sheffield made 30 appearances in his first big-league season with Colorado in 2021, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 20:13 K:BB in 29.1 innings.