DENVER -- Rockies rookie right-handed pitcher Jon Gray, who pitched a solid and pain-free 4 2/3 innings for Class A Advanced Modesto on Sunday in his first injury rehab start, will make another for Modesto on Friday as he completes his comeback from an abdominal strain he suffered in Spring Training.
Gray gave up four hits and struck out three while throwing 64 pitches Sunday and took the loss against Stockton. He fanned the first three hitters he faced. Of greater importance to the Rockies, he was reportedly pain-free and solid mechanically. His start Friday will be under an 85-pitch limit.
"All positive stuff," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He came out of it healthy and threw the ball well.
"He's not really built up. He threw 64 pitches, and that's as many pitches as he's thrown all spring. We thought we needed him to make another start, go a little bit deeper."
• Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa's fastball has averaged 90.3 mph in two starts and was especially down Saturday night in his last start. De La Rosa, whose next outing is scheduled for Friday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, insisted nothing was wrong and velocity isn't the reason he has a 12.46 ERA.
"I don't worry about velocity; location is what I worry about," De La Rosa said. "My location wasn't there both games."
De La Rosa threw an intense bullpen session Tuesday, but said doesn't believe bullpens can solve all problems.
"I have to wait until I get into the game to see if it works, but I work on some things, and I'll study the video," he said.
• Left-hander Tyler Anderson, coming back from a right oblique strain suffered in March, threw his first bullpen session since the injury -- 25 pitches -- at the club's complex in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Tuesday.
• Righty reliever Jason Motte (right shoulder strain) has reported to Scottsdale and could be cleared for limited throwing in the next couple of days.
• Infielder Daniel Descalso (fractured left hand) checked out fine with doctors in Scottsdale on Tuesday. He's allowed out of his brace to do range-of-motion exercises for about a week before being checked again.
• Lefty Tyler Matzek (anxiety) threw a bullpen session in Scottsdale on Monday (35 pitches), but hasn't been cleared to face hitters.