Colorado Rockies: 3 things that will make or break September

Find the right mix

September 1 means that the Rockies can call up players from its 40-man roster and increase the amount of weapons at its disposal in the bullpen and on the bench. Players like Ryan McMahon, Jordan Patterson, Raimel Tapia (once his 10-day window to be recalled is reopened after he was sent down to Triple-A on August 29) and others will have the opportunity to make their presence felt.

However, does this mean these players get more playing time and take over some of the at-bats for Carlos Gonzalez and Trevor Story, who have both struggled for the majority of the season, or Mark Reynolds, who is 5-for-27 since August 20? Not necessarily. Black has shown that he is unlikely to make major lineup or roster changes unless they are injury-related. But, with a wider range of options, Black could well use more pinch hitters and pinch runners in certain situations.

The roster expansion also brings some fresh arms into the bullpen, meaning a Zac Rosscup or Carlos Estevez could be called up and brought in to face one batter if needed. With more arms in the bullpen, the abilities for Black to mix and match depending on the situation are limitless.

Next: Our exclusive chat with Jon Gray about the month ahead

Colorado will have a mix of veteran players and newcomers for its stretch run. One of the newcomers could well provide a spark that could make the difference in a critical game this month. Don’t be surprised if that happens.