The cavalry isn’t riding in to save the Rockies, but at least the club got one impactful arm back Wednesday.

Colorado activated right-hander Daniel Bard off the injured list ahead of the series finale against the Pirates at Coors Field. The closer had been on the IL due to anxiety since March 30, following poor performances in both Rockies spring training and in three outings for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

“It feels good to have Daniel back,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “The last two weeks have been really positive for Daniel. We’re hoping that he can help, and he will. He’s a big part of our bullpen.”

Bard said he feels “ready to compete.” He was the first of now three major leaguers to go on the IL with anxiety this year, in addition to Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows and Athletics’ right-hander Trevor May (placed on the IL on Wednesday).

“It’s been a good few weeks and the support has been overwhelming from the team and everybody around me, family,” Bard said. “I’m still a work in progress, but I feel good.”

Bard made his 2023 debut in a mop-up, no-pressure role in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s 14-3 blowout loss to the Pirates. He threw a one-two-three frame, with nine pitches (six strikes, one first-pitch strike).

“I felt like myself,” Bard said. “It’s nice to be able to go through my normal routine… That all felt really good, and the plus side of a game like that is it gives me a chance to get in there without any added pressure. I was able to focus well and executed most of my pitches.”

Bard, who signed a two-year contract extension last year that keeps him in LoDo through 2024, was Colorado’s best pitcher last year with a 1.79 ERA in 57 games and 34 saves. He has a 3.64 ERA in eight seasons, and earned comeback player of the year honors for his debut season with Colorado in 2020 after issues with the yips washed him out of the majors for six years.

But the Rockies saw signs early in spring training that Bard wasn’t his locked-in 2022 self.

“With Daniel, even with the physical part, he was never quite right in spring training,” Black said. “We never saw the 96, 97, touch 98 mph fastball. Not that you need that in spring training, but you’ve got to be trending towards that in late March and he never quite got there. The crispness to his pitches wasn’t there.”

Bard’s hardest pitch Wednesday was 96.2, but he believes there’s more velocity in there as has been over the past couple seasons, when he’s routinely hit upper-90s with his heat. He also hopes Wednesday was a precursor to him re-assuming the closer role. Right-hander Pierce Johnson had been closing games for Colorado so far, with three saves in three opportunities.

“That’s what (Black and I) have talked about,” Bard said. “That’s the goal — whether that’s in two days or a week (that I’m the closer again), I don’t know. Pierce has done a really good job in the save situations.”

Black indicated after Wednesday’s game that the Rockies won’t be hesitating to plug Bard back into the back-end of the bullpen.

“I project that we’re going to see the real Daniel Bard here moving forward,” Black said.

Without Bard so far, the Rockies bullpen has a 4.37 ERA, 22nd in baseball, and they also rank 22nd with 4.37 walks/nine. While the bullpen hasn’t gone totally off the rails, the team overall has, mired in an eight-game losing streak that has them off to a franchise-worst 5-14 start.

“The first week I thought (the bullpen) was pretty solid, against San Diego and when we came back (to Denver) against the Nationals,” Black said. “But one thing that stood out to me is we have to clean up the walk rate in our bullpen. That’s just something that cannot continue.”

In a corresponding move, the Rockies sent right-hander Peter Lambert back down to Triple-A Albuquerque. Lambert was recalled Tuesday but didn’t pitch at all. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2021 due to elbow issues, but he’s back to full strength and is building up his innings as part of the Isotopes’ rotation. He was up with the club as a long relief option.

Thursday’s Pitching Matchup

Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-2, 7.20) at Phillies LHP Matt Strahm (1-1, 2.13)

4:40 p.m. Thursday, Citizens Bank Park

TV: ATTRM

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM

Feltner’s performance in his three starts so far has been mostly rough, with a bit of mediocrity mixed in. In his last outing, Seattle tagged him for five runs in 3 2/3 innings. Feltner has 11 walks over 13.1 innings and his WHIP is 1.95, so he needs to get back to the principles of finding the strike zone and keeping the ball down. Meanwhile, Strahm had a 3.83 ERA in 50 appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen last year but has been converted back to a starter in Philly this year. He didn’t make it out of the third inning in his last start, when he gave up three runs and three walks in a blowout loss to the Reds.

Pitching probables

Friday: Rockies RHP Noah Davis (0-0, 0.00) at Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (1-2, 5.91), 5:05 p.m., ATTRM

Saturday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-1, 3.80) at Phillies TBA, 2:05 p.m., ATTRM

Sunday: Rockies RHP Jose Urena (0-3, 9.82) at Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (1-1, 4.79), 10:05 a.m., ATTRM