McGee on a mission to pull weight in bullpen

DENVER — A painful 2016 season has led Rockies left-handed reliever Jake McGee straight to the weight room.

McGee arrived last offseason in a trade with the Rays, was named Colorado’s closer late in Spring Training and began the year in solid fashion. Through 21 appearances, he was 15-for-17 on save chances. But he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with left knee inflammation on June 11, then struggled with consistency upon his return.

Although McGee didn’t yield a run in his last 10 appearances, his final numbers — a 4.73 ERA and a 5.29 fielding-independent ERA (FIP) — were dramatically higher than the 2.77/2.58 he posted with Tampa Bay from 2010-15.

McGee, 30, never regained his full strength after undergoing a left meniscus procedure late in 2015 with the Rays. So he isn’t going to let up on his physical recovery in hopes of a better ’17.

“This is the first offseason that I’m not going to take any time off from knee strengthening and squats every three or four days,” said McGee, who is heading into his final year of arbitration after making $4.8 million in 2016. “I’m doing squats with weight, knee manuals — outside, bending — just kind of activating my quads. I’m pretty excited about it.”

A bounceback from McGee could be one key to improving a bullpen that posted a Majors-worst 5.11 ERA in 2016. He was one of …

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