"While the lack of a veteran starting pitcher has left many Rockies fans uneasy about the team's rotation, the progress of Juan Nicasio has been a bright spot.

The right-hander's remarkable recovery from a broken neck has continued in the Dominican Republic. Five months after a line drive off his head and a subsequent fall broke his C1 vertebra, Nicasio has begun facing hitters, leaving him on pace to compete for a rotation spot in spring training."