TUCSON, Ariz. — Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street has had another setback in his attempt to overcome the right shoulder stiffness that has bothered him all spring.

Street was shut down for the third time this spring Wednesday, a week after the right-hander said the plan was to see if he could work his way through the stiffness by going on a throwing program.

Street will open the season on the disabled list. Left-hander Franklin Morales, who filled in for Street last September, will handle the ninth-inning chores to open the season.

Street is hoping to be able to join the Rockies’ active roster by May 1, but trainer Keith Dugger is not setting any deadlines. Read story here.

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TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)—Like a kid with boundless energy, the first thing Ubaldo Jimenez wants to do every morning is grab a ball and glove and go play catch.

The days in between starts are wrenching for the Colorado Rockies’ flamethrowing ace.

And the offseasons? They would be downright dreadful if he didn’t play winter ball back home in the Dominican Republic.

“I like to keep going and going,” the soft-spoken Jimenez said. “I don’t like to be lazy.”

Once he receives the ball, he doesn’t like to give it back.

Jimenez has already been named the team’s starter for the opener on April 5 in Milwaukee, an honor that still makes him light up when it’s mentioned.

“But I have to keep working hard,” the 26-year-old Jimenez said. “I can’t change anything.”

Jimenez threw a staff-high 218 innings last season, his arm never seeming to wear down. He tossed 3,570 pitches in 2009, second-most in the NL behind St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright (3,614).

So, what did he do after that season?

Naturally, he went home and threw some more.

Give him the option to pitch and he won’t shy away, especially at home with his family and friends able to watch.

“They’ll probably never have a chance to come to (Coors Field) and see me pitch,” Jimenez said. “I do it so they can see me.”

Someday, though, Jimenez may have to curtail his trips to the mound in the Dominican. The Rockies awarded him a four-year, $10 million deal in 2009 and don’t want to put too much wear and tear on that robust right arm.

To read full story click here. 

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TUCSON, Ariz. -- Jason Giambi's personality filled New York for years. He's happy to say he's the life of any party. He has opened a nightclub in Las Vegas. Yet, he's perfectly at home with the small-to-mid-market, hunting-and-fishing Rockies.

Giambi and the Rockies meshed beautifully last September. Giambi hit .292 with two home runs and 11 RBIs as a left-handed bat off the bench to help the Rockies into the playoffs.

The logical thought was Giambi, 39, would return to the American League as a designated hitter. But he never found a fit there. Meanwhile, the Rockies kept reminding him that a good time could be had if he would return to Denver for more pinch-hit duty and starts when first baseman Todd Helton rests.

"It's exciting, very humbling," said Giambi, who signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal, and reported to Hi Corbett Field on Wednesday. "You have Todd Helton calling you, saying, 'I'll take days off to get you at-bats.' I didn't take it lightly, there's no doubt.

Read full story and watch video here.

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Ian Stewart is a .391 hitter, but only because the stat sheet says so a week into the season.

So where will the Rockies slugger be with a week left in the season? Not at .391, for sure, but the way Stewart has swung the bat from the first day of spring training on, he doesn't figure to hit .228 again, either, as he did last year.

"That .228 can become .270 or .275," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "And if that's the case, what has that done to the slugging percentage, and what has that done to the on-base percentage? And what other opportunities has he now created for his teammates to knock him in?"

Stewart's first four hits this season were for extra bases — a double, a triple and two home runs. But then, power never has been the issue with him. His biggest challenge has been making contact.

Ask him what he wants to improve on after last year's .228, 25-homer, 70-RBI season, and he doesn't have any numbers in mind. Well, other than one: 138. That was his strikeout total in 425 at-bats.

"There are a lot of areas where I can improve, but cutting down on my strikeouts would be big," said Stewart, who last week turned 25. "Taking that walk instead of swinging at a ball outside the strike zone. When you take walks and swing at better pitches and put the ball in play more, your average is going to go up."

His experiences are typical of a young power hitter. He isn't the first major-leaguer to work with his hitting coach — in Stewart's case, Don Baylor — to shorten his swing. But it's more than that. Like countless other big-leaguers whose raw talent enabled them to dominate lesser competition, he has had to adjust to life with two strikes at the major-league level.

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TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)—For once, Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez feels at ease in spring training, not stressing about his role.

For once, he can hone his swing in peace, without the eyes of coaches assessing his every at-bat, figuring out whether he belongs at this level or needs more seasoning in the minors.

He will be penciled into the starting spot in left field come opening day in Milwaukee.

And that’s a burden off his mind.

“It’s the first time I’ve come here for spring training with a little bit of plans,” the 24-year-old Gonzalez said. “I know where I am, where I am going to be. It’s a really good feeling.”

Last spring, Gonzalez arrived in camp unsure of his role, unsure of anything really.

He was one of the players involved in the deal that sent All-Star Matt Holliday on to Oakland. Gonzalez had a chance to show what he could do.

But he felt awkward in his new surroundings, like he had to impress the Rockies in a hurry. That pressure only made him struggle even more.

Gonzalez began the season with Triple-A Colorado Springs, tearing up pitchers as he hit .340 with 10 homers and 59 RBIs.

That’s the type of player the Rockies envisioned when they sent Holliday to the A’s, a deal that also brought in closer Huston Street and lefty Greg Smith.

Called up to Colorado in June, Gonzalez initially struggled, hitting .202 before the All-Star break.

But then something clicked, his swing felt better, his mechanics more in line. Gonzalez hit .320 in the second half of the season, and smacked 12 of his 13 homers.

To read full story click here. 

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TUCSON, Ariz. -- Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa had a breakthrough season in 2009, but he didn't reach his most cherished goal until Jan. 7 of this year. That was when he and his wife, Martha, welcomed twin boys, Matias and Bernabe.

"I always wanted to have kids," De La Rosa said. "I've been waiting for that moment when you come to the stadium and play with them in the stadium. I've seen some of my teammates bring their kids. I've played with Clint Barmes' son, Wyatt, sometimes."

Fatherhood is often credited as a settling influence for players. But the Rockies are happy that De La Rosa attained calm, and had a breakout pitching performance, in 2009.

Going into last season, De La Rosa's maturity was under question. Then-manager Clint Hurdle decided in January that De La Rosa would be a member of the rotation. De La Rosa didn't exactly reward the faith with his iffy Spring Training and 0-6 record and 5.43 ERA through May.

Read full story and watch video here.

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