Justin Lawrence dropped his arm slot — and raised his odds.

Before Lawrence was a flame-throwing sidearmer in the Rockies’ bullpen, he was just another right-handed reliever at Jacksonville University. That’s when he had a career-changing realization.

“I realized that if I was going to get to the big leagues, it was going to be a different route for me,” Lawrence said. “I was (already) going from being a position player to being a pitcher, and then I dropped down my arm slot. That was a big change.”

Lawrence’s professional stock took off from there, but not before his progress was derailed by a positive test for PEDs that resulted in an 80-game suspension in 2020.

Like several other players suspended for using Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (DHCMT), Lawrence maintains that his positive test was the result of a “contamination” of some kind. That MLB has since adjusted its rules on DHCMT suggests the red flags waived by those who tested positive might have some validity.

Regardless, the suspension was a huge blow for someone whose big-league aspirations had already taken a hit.

Lawrence transferred to Daytona State after one year at Jacksonville University, but the Rockies saw enough to take a chance on him in the 12th round (No. 347 overall) in 2015.

There were glaring growing pains as Lawrence adjusted to being a sidewinder in the minors. He posted an 8.39 ERA in his first pro season between rookie-league Grand Junction and short-season Boise. He settled in with a 4.98 in the lower minors in 2016, then shot up prospect boards over the next couple of years when his fastball velocity reached triple digits.

Then adversity hit. Lawrence scuffled in the high minors in ’19, and the positive PED test soon followed.

“Coming into 2021, I knew it was make-or-break, it was do-or-die time,” Lawrence said. “I knew that my dream of making it as a big-league baseball player was really on the fringe.”

Lawrence finally made his debut in April 2021. Now, despite a 6.52 ERA in 57 big-league appearances, he’s a reliever manager Bud Black is counting on to help stabilize Colorado’s shaky bullpen.

Lawrence’s Journey to the Bigs

Year drafted: 2015 (12th Round, No. 347)

Lowest moment: After shooting up the Rockies’ prospect rankings amid dominating 2017 and ’18 seasons, Lawrence posted a 8.76 ERA in 2019 and then was suspended 80 games for a PED.

Turning point: After missing all of 2020 due to his suspension and the cancellation of the minor-league season, Lawrence bounced back to debut for the Rockies on April 29, 2021, solidifying the fact the club hadn’t lost faith in him.

2023 outlook: A year after posting a 5.70 ERA, Lawrence has a lot to prove.