Colorado Rockies Rundown: CarGo’s Knee, Justin Morneau’s Return, Chad Bettis’ Bat
By Bobby DeMuro
Apr 27, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman J. Morneau (33) bats against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Morneau gets closer to a return date
(via Twitter)
Justin Morneau was back at it on Tuesday afternoon, staying home in Denver and taking live batting practice at Coors Field while the Rockies were in Atlanta:
That’s obviously great news for the Rockies, who still believe there’s a shot he could come back in 2015 (even though Ben Paulsen has asserted himself well enough at first base to likely earn the position next season).
It’s even better news for Morneau. The first baseman nearly saw his career end in 2012 with concussion-related injuries, so to see him get back on the field once again this year after dealing with more concussion-related symptoms is a great sign.
[ Related: The Colorado Rockies missed the window on Justin Morneau ]
Based on his contract (a team/player mutual $9 million option for 2016), and on the Rockies’ needs as they rebuild, he shouldn’t and likely won’t be in Denver next season. But hopefully he can play for a few weeks at the end of the year here and earn himself a gig somewhere for 2016.
Next: Brandon Barnes goes down on Tuesday, too