Vodnik pitched a scoreless seventh inning in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Reds.
Vodnik allowed two earned runs in his prior outing Saturday, so this was a needed bounce-back performance. That inconsistency is a microcosm of his entire spring, however, as he's allowed three earned runs across five innings -- albeit with a 5:1 K:BB. Vodnik is a candidate to earn the closer role in Colorado, though Tyler Kinley has had a more impressive spring.
Rockies' Victor Vodnik: Chance for ninth-inning role
Rotowire
Vodnik is a candidate for saves in the Rockies' bullpen to begin the season, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.
Vodnik tied for second on the team with nine saves in 2024, though both his surface and peripheral stats left plenty to be desired. He had a 1.48 WHIP primarily due to an 11.6 percent walk rate and paired that with a modest 20.3 percent strikeout rate. Seth Halvorsen and Tyler Kinley are the other primary candidates for save chances.
Vodnik walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning Thursday against the Tigers.
Vodnik was reinstated from the injured list Sunday and has made two scoreless appearances since -- each coming in the seventh inning. Meanwhile, Tyler Kinley has picked up both of Colorado's saves in that same span, suggesting Vodnik is out of the closer role for the time being.
The Rockies reinstated Vodnik (biceps) from the 15-day injured list Sunday.
Vodnik made his lone rehab appearance with Double-A Hartford on Friday, when he struck out two batters over one inning. He will rejoin the Colorado bullpen for Sunday's series finale against the Brewers, though it's unclear if Vodnik will immediately reclaim the closer's role or if he'll instead get eased into higher-leverage situations. Across 55 major-league appearances this season, Vodnik has recorded nine saves and six holds with a 4.04 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 64.2 innings.
