This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding¡¯s Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

DENVER -- There are more fun places for a pitcher to find his form than the injured list, but that¡¯s where Rockies right-handed relievers Justin Lawrence and Jake Bird are. Once they are past the soreness, the best of both may come.

Lawrence had good and bad streaks last season while posting a 3.72 ERA and 11 saves in 69 games. This season has brought some solid runs but also some poor outings in big situations (two saves, three blown saves) and a 5.91 ERA. He was placed on the IL on May 27 (retroactive to May 26) with a right shoulder strain after giving up three runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Phillies on May 25.

¡°It¡¯s a little bit mechanical,¡± Rockies bullpen coach Reid Cornelius said. ¡°He¡¯s feeling some things and trying to work them out. We¡¯re going to do some digging while he¡¯s on the IL, look at some comparison video. He may need a little bit lower load, maybe in the legs, and get a lower slot. He seems to be pretty good when he¡¯s lower.¡±

Bird, who went to the team¡¯s complex in Scottsdale, Ariz., after Colorado announced his right elbow soreness, has a 6.10 ERA this season, after finishing last year at 4.33 in a team-leading 70 appearances.

¡°The biggest thing is trying to keep him under control,¡± Cornelius said. ¡°His stuff is so good that sometimes he tries to out-stuff people, rather than pitching. When you do that, sometimes you lose command.

¡°He just needs to stay within himself and within the strike zone and work down. It¡¯s an elite sinker, and he¡¯s got really good breaking stuff.¡±

The problems stem partly from the loss of closer Daniel Bard, first to a knee injury and then to season-ending right elbow surgery. The belief is Lawrence and Bird were pressing, and they aren¡¯t the only ones.

¡°They both pitched very well for us last year, and maybe came in trying to do a little bit more,¡± Cornelius said. ¡°It¡¯s so easy to say, ¡®Just relax and let it work.¡¯ But there¡¯s a threat at the plate. It¡¯s a tough league. We try to remind them to calm down and let it happen.¡±