SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chad Bettis pitched a ho-hum bullpen session Wednesday at Salt River Fields. That is not why teammates congratulated him.

The Rockies right-hander, three months after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, was given a healthy prognosis after blood tests and a tumor marker test showed he remains free of the cancer.

“When you meet the doctor, you’re kind of hanging on by a thread trying to figure out whether my blood work is good and what’s going on,” Bettis said from the Rockies’ clubhouse. “This is a huge day for me.”

Bettis, 27, underwent surgery Nov. 29 to remove the cancerous cells. And doctors told him on Dec. 22 the surgery was a success. But he had to wait to know if the cancer recurred. Wednesday was that first big hurdle.

“Now I have some clarity,” he said. “When I can get away from what the doctor is going to say, it puts my mind at ease.”

Bettis led the Rockies in victories last season with a 14-8 record and in innings pitched, at 186. He is now the senior member of a young rotation that follows with Tyler Chatwood (26), Tyler Anderson (26) and Jon Gray (24), with a fifth starter still pending.

After a successful surgery, Bettis dodged the need for radiation or chemotherapy and slid back into a near-regular offseason throwing program. Doctors will continue to monitor his progress with regular blood tests every three to six months.

“This was a tough one for Chad and his family,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “I can’t say enough about his mental strength through this. We’ll find out more as we go about where this is headed and where he is as it relates to baseball.”

Story’s defense. Trevor Story rocketed into the limelight immediately last season as a rookie shortstop, starting opening day before hitting 27 home runs through just 97 games before left thumb surgery ended his year. One of his next steps is to become a more instinctual shortstop, Black said.

“You can tell fundamentally, with his footwork, the way he positions his hands, he’s been taught well,” the manager said. “Watching him play, I’ll find out more about his intuitiveness of playing that position. But early on, he checks off a lot of boxes as a good defender.”

Story rated as an above-average defender based on various metrics, including defensive runs saved, despite committing 10 errors in 442 chances.

Denorfia’s potential value. Veteran outfielder Chris Denorfia spent his 2016 season in the minor-leagues, but after the Rockies signed the former Padres player to a minor-league deal in January, he remains in the mix of potential backups. His varied abilities as a defender and situational hitter might propel him onto the roster. And he’s helped by a past playing under Black.

“I’ve seen Deno perform as a big-leaguer right before my eyes with the Pads,” Black said. “He brings a nice skill set to a team. You’re comfortable with him in the outfield at all three positions. He plays solid defense. He can homer. He can lay a bunt down, steal a base, throw a guy out.”

Denorfia underwent a procedure to help a back injury in the offseason. And if he can earn a spot as Colorado’s fifth outfielder, behind Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, David Dahl and Gerardo Parra, he would be the only right-handed hitter among them. He hits better against left-handed pitching, with a .772 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) compared to .686 against righties.

“We tried to utilize him a lot in that area in San Diego,” Black said. “He proved very capable. … He’s got to let us know there is still something left.”