Colorado Rockies Reserves Anchoring the Lineup While Stars Struggle

As outfielder David Dahl and first baseman Ian Desmond went down with injuries during Spring Training, Colorado Rockies fans everywhere expected the talented stars in the lineup to make up for their absences.

No one expected that the bottom of the lineup would be the ones to make the big hits and bring in the runs.

At the same time the top of the lineup that everyone has been talking about, has been virtually non-existent.

In the season-opening series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the top five players in the Rockies lineup hit for a combined 13-for-75. That’s a .173 batting average.

Fortunately the Rockies went 3-1 in the series against the Brewers. This was in large part due to the pitching, but more importantly the stellar play of the four players at the bottom of the lineup.

When Desmond broke his hand, he was replaced by first baseman Mark Reynolds. Through the season’s first five games, Reynolds was 7-for-18 with six RBI and two homers.

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In left field, Gerardo Parra has taken over for Dahl after he injured his sixth rib in Spring Training. The back-up left fielder has gone 6-for-15 with four RBI over that same span.

At catcher, Tony Wolters played the first three games of the series before Dustin Garneau took over for the final game. The other back-up, Tom Murphy, broke his forearm in Spring Training. It hasn’t mattered, as the combined duo of Wolters and Garneau have gone 5-for-16.

Overall, the production of the unlikely back-ups, batting a combined .367, have kept the Rockies in games and are the main reason they started the season 4-1.

If the Rockies want to have the great season that they are looking for, the stars of the lineup need to step up. Hitting a combined .173 might be enough to beat the Brewers, but not the best of the National League West.

If they want to compete with the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, they need MVP plate performances from their stars.

It will be an added bonus if the back-ups continue their production. If they do, they will make a case to stay in the lineup when the starters return.

I could see Desmond playing left field when he returns while Reynolds stays at first. That would mean that Parra would come off the bench.

Who knows what the Rockies will do when Dahl returns? However, having talented bench players is a good problem to have.

Next: Simulating Colorado's 2017 Season on MLB The Show 17

The Rockies will definitely be tested against the Dodgers this weekend, but hopefully the top of the lineup will perform to expectations, while the bottom of the lineup continues to exceed them.