SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — At 8:30 every morning during spring training, manager Bud Black and his staff, along with general manager Jeff Bridich and his staff, sit down to discuss the state of the Rockies.

They evaluate players, receive updates on injuries and voice their opinions. Those opinions are bound to get stronger and louder over the next two weeks as the Rockies shape their 25-man roster for the season opener April 3 at Milwaukee.

“We face a lot of tough decisions,” Black said Sunday. “We have a lot to look at.”

Indeed they do. In part because of key injuries, and in part because of spring training performances — good and bad — there are a lot of major decisions at hand.

Here is an analysis of the Rockies’ roster makeup, two weeks before the season begins:

Starting pitching

Right-handers Jon Gray (the likely opening-day starter) and Tyler Chatwood, along with lefty Tyler Anderson, anchor a rotation the Rockies hope will be their best in years. But right-hander Chad Bettis is waging a battle against testicular cancer and could be out the entire season. Losing him was a huge blow that leaves two spots open in the rotation.

Veteran left-hander and long reliever Chris Rusin likely would have filled one of those slots, but he is out of action because of a strained oblique and may miss the start of the season, so youth will have to serve. Right-hander Antonio Senzatela and lefty Kyle Freeland, a Thomas Jefferson High School graduate, merit the final two spots, based on their spring performances. The problem is, neither has pitched in the majors, and the talented Senzatela made only seven starts in Double-A last year.

That inexperience doesn’t seem to rattle Black, who sees a lot of maturity in the 22-year-old Senzatela. He didn’t pitch well Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, but when Black was asked afterward if Senzatela remains a candidate to break camp as part of the starting rotation, he quickly answered: “Yes, that’s extremely fair to say.”

Freeland, who made 12 starts in Triple-A last year, isn’t on the 40-man roster, so the Rockies would have to do some shuffling. The likely solution is clearing space on the 40-man roster by putting right-hander Rayan González on the 60-day disabled list. He has an injured elbow and probably is headed for Tommy John surgery.

Right-handers Jeff Hoffman and German Marquez have had hit-and-miss springs, meaning they could begin the season in Triple-A with Albuquerque. If there is room in the bullpen, Black isn’t opposed to having one of them pitch in relief to begin the season.

Bullpen

There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of questions to be answered as Colorado attempts to shore up a bullpen that was among the worst in the majors last year. Five of eight spots are set, filled by right-handers Greg Holland (the closer), Adam Ottavino and Jordan Lyles, and lefties Mike Dunn and Jake McGee.

The big questions:

— If Rusin’s injury isn’t healed by the opener, does that open a door for Hoffman or Marquez?

— Right-hander Carlos Estevez, who owns a powerful fastball but is simplifying his delivery, is a strong candidate. So is right-hander Scott Oberg, the more crafty pitcher of the two. But which one will the Rockies go with? There is flexibility here, because both have minor-league options.

— What do the Rockies do with veteran right-handers Jason Motte, 34, and Chad Qualls, 38? The club has invested significant money in both but got little in return. Motte will be paid $5 million this season and Qualls will get $3.25 million, but would Bridich cut both loose, thus freeing up two spots on the 40-man roster and allowing for some roster flexibility?

Qualls has battled right forearm soreness most of the spring, and there is a possibility he could start the season on the disabled list.

First base

The starter was supposed to be Ian Desmond, who signed a five-year, $70 million contract, but a broken left hand has knocked him out of action until late April, meaning veteran Mark Reynolds will be the everyday first baseman until Desmond returns. But Reynolds is a nonroster invitee, meaning he still has to be added to the 40-man roster.

The short-term backup could be rookie Jordan Patterson, a left-handed hitter who received 18 big-league at-bats last September. Patterson also can play in the outfield, so he offers versatility. But so does Stephen Cardullo, who can play in the outfield and has smashed the ball this spring. He has impressed the Rockies with his hustle and desire but isn’t on the 40-man roster, so he likely is destined for Triple-A.

The wild cards are switch-hitting Cristhian Adames and Pat Valaika; both are utility infielders by trade and are getting a bit of work at first base. Adames is out of minor-league options, so that’s problematic. Valaika, who has hit for power and average in the Cactus League, batted .263 in 19 at-bats after his September call-up. He has made a positive impression on Black and the front office.

Outfield

David Dahl‘s rib injury made Gerardo Parra the starting left fielder and opened the door for veteran Chris Denorfia to make the opening-day roster. Denorfia, 36, played under Black at San Diego from 2010-14. He returned from back surgery last April to play in 36 games for San Francisco’s Triple-A team. Denorfia, who can back up Charlie Blackmon in center field and Carlos Gonzalez in right field, has displayed good range this spring.

Patterson, Cardullo and even utility infielder Alexi Amarista provide outfield depth too, if needed. Prospect Raimel Tapia is talented enough to play in the majors — he hit .263 in 22 games with Colorado in September — but the Rockies want to make sure he plays every day and gets plenty of at-bats.