SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — "It was sheer panic trying to figure out what was going on," John Axford recalled.The Rockies right-handed relief pitcher saw his family at Salt River Fields long enough for hugs and kisses after throwing a three-strikeout ninth inning to earn a Cactus League save against the Giants a week ago. They left him behind so he could do his post-game workouts. But when he was done, as he was driving away from Rockies headquarters, he got a message from a Phoenix-area hospital saying his 2-year-old son, Jameson, had been bitten by a rattlesnake twice in the right foot. 
"Things got very bad, very quickly," Axford said Tuesday. "It looked like a fairly normal snake bite. But things took a turn for the worse."There was a lot of pain. A lot of screaming."Axford, who hasn't pitched since the incident last Wednesday, returned to the Rockies to throw a bullpen session Tuesday while his son slept at the hospital where he was being watched by Axford's wife, Nicole, and his other son, J.B., 3. But Axford said he is not sure when he'll be able to return to the Rockies full-time. He'll stay with Jameson and his family as long as he believes he needs to."We can't do anything, except give him hugs and kisses — and pancakes sometimes," Axford said.Jameson remains in the hospital and is listed in stable condition while doctors attempt to stop necrosis of his foot. Axford said doctors are still concerned his son may need one of his toes amputated, but he is in much better condition than he was and they believe his foot was saved. Jameson was given six vials of antivenom medication when he arrived at the hospital. His parents think he stepped on a baby rattlesnake in the backyard of the house the family is renting north of Scottsdale.Nicole pulled her son away from the snake and called 911. The fire department arrived five minutes later, then an ambulance came to rush Jameson to the hospital where he was stabilized. But his health turned worse. Swelling turned to blistering and the top of his foot became black in spots. Doctors worried necrosis might force them to amputate the foot. They had to scrub dead tissue off Jameson's foot, a painful process, every morning until Tuesday, which was his first clear day."The last thing I want to do is think about baseball," Axford said. "We're not sure what is happening. We're trying to take things step by step."The Rockies were looking to fill one or two remaining spots in their bullpen before opening day Monday. They could carry seven or eight relief pitchers. But they may now need one more arm to replace Axford in the short term. Brooks Brown, Rafael Betancourt and Scott Oberg are candidates for those spots.Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Axford — whom the Rockies signed in the offseason to a one-year, $2.6 million deal with incentives — remains a possibility to still be on the opening day roster."We have some things mapped out for him. We feel good about him being out there."Axford, for now, is focused on his son."Any positive thoughts people have for him would definitely be well-received," he said.Nick Groke/Denver Post
"Things got very bad, very quickly," Axford said Tuesday. "It looked like a fairly normal snake bite. But things took a turn for the worse."There was a lot of pain. A lot of screaming."Axford, who hasn't pitched since the incident last Wednesday, returned to the Rockies to throw a bullpen session Tuesday while his son slept at the hospital where he was being watched by Axford's wife, Nicole, and his other son, J.B., 3. But Axford said he is not sure when he'll be able to return to the Rockies full-time. He'll stay with Jameson and his family as long as he believes he needs to."We can't do anything, except give him hugs and kisses — and pancakes sometimes," Axford said.Jameson remains in the hospital and is listed in stable condition while doctors attempt to stop necrosis of his foot. Axford said doctors are still concerned his son may need one of his toes amputated, but he is in much better condition than he was and they believe his foot was saved. Jameson was given six vials of antivenom medication when he arrived at the hospital. His parents think he stepped on a baby rattlesnake in the backyard of the house the family is renting north of Scottsdale.Nicole pulled her son away from the snake and called 911. The fire department arrived five minutes later, then an ambulance came to rush Jameson to the hospital where he was stabilized. But his health turned worse. Swelling turned to blistering and the top of his foot became black in spots. Doctors worried necrosis might force them to amputate the foot. They had to scrub dead tissue off Jameson's foot, a painful process, every morning until Tuesday, which was his first clear day."The last thing I want to do is think about baseball," Axford said. "We're not sure what is happening. We're trying to take things step by step."The Rockies were looking to fill one or two remaining spots in their bullpen before opening day Monday. They could carry seven or eight relief pitchers. But they may now need one more arm to replace Axford in the short term. Brooks Brown, Rafael Betancourt and Scott Oberg are candidates for those spots.Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Axford — whom the Rockies signed in the offseason to a one-year, $2.6 million deal with incentives — remains a possibility to still be on the opening day roster."We have some things mapped out for him. We feel good about him being out there."Axford, for now, is focused on his son."Any positive thoughts people have for him would definitely be well-received," he said.Nick Groke/Denver Post
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