Rockies Lineup: Wilin Rosario Is Playing First Base

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You just had to do it on a Sunday, didn’t you Walt? Don’t you know how sensitive we are to weird lineups when they happen on Sundays?

Michael Cuddyer is sick. Todd Helton is resting for a dreaded day game after a night game. Jordan Pacheco is currently a member of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. So who plays first base?

Wilin Rosario, that’s who. Here is the complete Rockies lineup for today’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates:

Dexter Fowler CF
DJ LeMahieu 2B
Troy Tulowitzki SS
Wilin Rosario C
Nolan Arenado 3B
Charlie Culberson LF
Yorvit Torrealba C
Charlie Blackmon RF
Chad Bettis P

This might make us wonder if, with Todd Helton‘s presumed retirement at season’s end, Rosario might be groomed to take over first base. He’s bad at catching, after all, so why not switch his position and get somebody else behind the dish?

Honestly, it’s an intriguing thought, but if there’s one thing we’ve been reminded this season it’s this: playing good defense makes a huge difference. You better believe that Arenado at third base and  LeMahieu at second has played a part in the success of Rockies pitchers this season. Along those lines, we are going to receive a blunt reminder of how good Helton was at first when it’s somebody else over there next season.

That transition will be tough enough as is. Do we really want to go through it with somebody nicknamed “Bull” lumbering around and trying to scoop throws in the dirt?

As for today’s lineup: I know Pirates starter Jeff Locke is left-handed, but couldn’t we have inserted Corey Dickerson in the lineup? I don’t think any of us expected Charlie Culberson to get this much run as a starter, and rightfully so. This lineup would look a lot better with the Rockies’ best hitter, Tulowitzki, batting second, and Dickerson batting third. That would be a smart way to milk this lineup for extra at-bats for your best hitters.

Instead Tulo bats third (BECAUSE HE MUST) and Dickerson sits as the Rockies go for the sweep.