SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Rockies left-handed pitcher Tyler Matzek has left spring training to deal with personal issues tied to his .
“We are giving him a breather to take care of some personal things,” manager Walt Weiss said Monday morning.
Weiss said there is no timetable for Matzek’s return to camp, but added, “I don’t think it’s going to be all that long.” Matzek was excused from camp on Sunday.
The talented left-hander’s 2015 season ended abruptly because of control issues brought on by performance anxiety. He hoped to get a fresh start in spring training, but in the Rockies’ first Cactus League game on March 2, Matzek struggled. He failed to record an out while giving up three runs on three hits, including a solo home run to lead off the fourth by Arizona’s Welington Castro. Most disconcerting, Matzek walked two and had a wild pitch.
“I felt like some of pitches that got hit were decent,” Matzek said. “There were just not enough of them.”
Matzek, 25, addressed his anxiety problems in a saying he was confronting his condition head on, confident he would fulfill the promise that prompted the Rockies to make him the 11th pick in the first round of the 2009 draft. He was determined to compete for a job in the Rockies’ starting rotation.
“I look at it like this: Sure, I had a few bad months, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not that big a deal,” he said. “I don’t think this is going to define me by any means.”
Matzek finished the 2014 season strong, going 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA in his final six starts. He began the 2015 season 2-1 with a 4.09 ERA, but he gave up 19 walks and hit three batters in 22 innings before being sent to the minors.
Weiss said the Rockies still believe Matzek will contribute.
“That’s the plan — it’s how we look at it with everybody,” Weiss said. “We’ve got to look at whatever the issues are and attack them. It’s no different with Tyler.”
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or @psaundersdp
