Colorado Rockies Rundown: Injuries, 2016, Asheville Tourists In The Playoffs

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Sep 7, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman N. Arenado (28) dives into the stands as he attempts to catch a foul ball by San Diego Padres center fielder W. Myers (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Your morning rundown — news, notes, analysis, and more — on the biggest stories surrounding the Colorado Rockies for this Wednesday, September 9, 2015.

Nolan Arenado deals with a chest contusion

(via MLB.com)

After diving into the stands to try to catch a foul pop-up on Monday afternoon, Nolan Arenado left the Colorado Rockies’ game in San Diego. He had what the team is calling a chest contusion, though X-rays came back negative, and he didn’t leave immediately after the play, so he wasn’t obviously injured so badly he couldn’t perform.

This is good news for the Rockies, though, who don’t want to see Nolan get hurt — especially not during a season like the one he is having in 2015 on the home run chase.

Honestly, though, this is great news for the Rockies as well as something of an incredulous head-shaker for the future; the way Arenado plays baseball, I’m amazed he hasn’t seriously been hurt yet. (I know he missed a bunch of time in his career already, but I specifically mean something like a severe injury from a dive into that stands, which he’s now done multiple times this season.)

But hey, all that matters is he’s healthy. (He was in the lineup on Tuesday night, of course.) Let the great home run chase between Nolan and Carlos Gonzalez continue!

Next: Hundley's neck sidelines the catcher

Jul 8, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher N. Hundley (4) runs to third on a sacrifice from left fielder B. Barnes (not pictured) in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Hundley deals with a stiff neck

(via MLB.com)

After leaving the Colorado Rockies’ loss to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, Nick Hundley has been out with a stiff neck that was apparently sustained on a swing.

For Hundley, the hope is that this isn’t serious because (a) the Colorado Rockies really need him behind the plate, and (b) he’s having a career year beside the plate, too. And, obviously, he won’t get to enjoy his homecoming to San Diego this week as much as he otherwise might have done.

What this will really do for the Rockies over the next month, though, is expose Dustin Garneau as the club tries to figure out if there’s anything there for them to us in 2016. A late bloomer, Garneau is 28 years old and only just getting to the big leagues, and while he’s billed as a catch-and-throw guy first, he’s gotten little opportunity to show what he can do.

It appears he may be playing most of the time over at least the next few days, though. Obviously, this will expose the Rockies; Michael McKenry is already out for the season after knee surgery, and besides Wilin Rosario (gulp) there are no catchers on the active roster any more. (Remember, Matt McBride was designated for assignment over the weekend.)

Next: Morneau's best days are behind him

Sep 4, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman J. Morneau (33) catches a fly ball during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Morneau’s best days are behind him

(via MLB.com)

Tracy Ringolsby has an interesting piece up about the Colorado Rockies’ first baseman and his future both in and beyond the game after once again dealing with concussion issues thanks to an injury sustained in Anaheim in May.

Monreau spoke at length to Ringolsby, though these are probably the most telling quotes of the interview:

“You have to be careful. Junior Seau should have been a wakeup call to everyone. Obviously, football is a different sport. But you are talking about, arguably, the best player in his profession. He did all anyone could do on the field, and he was not able to enjoy what he had done.”

“You make sacrifices with your family all the time, and we are paid well. But if you can’t remember your kid’s name when you are 50, what’s everything you have accomplished worth? “It’s something not everybody is going to agree with, but you have to trust the strides [sports medicine] has made in an effort to take care of people. As an athlete, you have to come to terms with it. It’s not what you expect when you start [playing sports], but you have to come to terms with it.”

Ugh. Those issues are no joke, and Morneau is dealing with arguably the worst thing a pro athlete can be dealing with; this isn’t a knee or ankle that can be surgically repaired to last him (or get him along well enough) after his playing days, but rather a (the?) most important piece of the body, of which doctors and scientists know less than they’d like.

We’ll have more on Morneau in the coming days from a contract perspective as we look at whether he could be back for the Colorado Rockies in 2016, but this is obviously a bit different from on-field talk.

Next: Well hello, Kyle Kendrick

Sep 7, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher I. Kennedy (22) watches as Colorado Rockies starting pitcher K. Kendrick (38) rounds the bases with a solo home run during the fourth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Kendrick’s big day back

(via MLB.com)

Hey Kyle, where the hell did this come from?! Not that we’re complaining…

Of note in that game: Kendrick only went five innings and gave up three runs, so even though he helped his own cause with the homer (and Lord knows he needed it), it wasn’t exactly like he had an incredible game.

He just happened to get a quirky win thanks to the Colorado Rockies’ bullpen, which decided to do pretty well on that particular day. I will give him this, though; the homer was a bomb.

Next: Corey Dickerson is back from the DL

Apr 23, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder C. Dickerson (6) hits a home run during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field. The Rockies won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Dickerson returns from the DL!

(via MLB.com)

According to the Colorado Rockies’ transactions page, they have activated Corey Dickerson from the disabled list and placed him on their active roster.

Dickerson, of course, has lost more or less the entire season after dealing with plantar fasciitis earlier this year, and then more recently struggling with a broken rib he sustained in one of his first games back on the active roster from the plantar injury several months ago.

A year ago, Dickerson was poised to be a future National League batting champion, and one year later he spent the majority of the season on the disabled list. Let’s hope this was, in fact, a blemish on the mark of a man who will soon become a very, very good player, and not something indicative of future health issues like the Colorado Rockies saw all too often with Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez.

Dickerson side note: I took my girlfriend to the Isotopes’ game in Sacramento on Sunday afternoon, and she decided she wanted to get some autographs before the game (she’s never done it before). Corey Dickerson (and Trevor Story, Roger Bernadina, Angelys Nina, Aaron Laffey, and Tim Smalling!) all signed her ball, so she was pretty happy about that.

Tweets by Tstory2

Ah, baseball.

Next: The Tourists are playoff-bound!

Asheville Tourists Logo/via Colorado Rockies/Asheville Tourists Twitter.

The Asheville Tourists are in the playoffs

(via Asheville Citizen-Times)

Congratulations to the Colorado Rockies’ single-A affiliate Asheville Tourists, who earned themselves a playoff berth in the South Atlantic League this season by exactly half a game over their rival Greenville Drive on the very last day of the season!

The Tourists have some unfinished business, too; they won the entire South Atlantic League in 2014, so now that they are in the final four, they need to go out and defend their title.

They’ll play a best-of-three game series against the Savannah Sand Gnats beginning tonight, and continuing Friday, and Saturday (if necessary).

Also, we’ll have a lot more on this and everything else Tourist-related over the next week or two as we begin to break down each team’s minor league season and provide end-of-year analysis, player awards, and much, much more for those of you hungry to know more about the Colorado Rockies’ farm system.

Next: Despite standings, September isn't worthless

Aug 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher J. Gray (55) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

September isn’t worthless

(via Rockies Zingers)

Nick Tremaroli over at Rockies Zingers has a good piece up about September, and the Colorado Rockies, and really all the intriguing/interesting/good/optimistic/not awful things going on around the club this September as they look ahead to 2016.

Obviously, for some people who are perennially in “win-now” mode, the “looking ahead” will never suffice, and no amount of realistic analysis or common sense explanations will make them see anything any different.

But, for those who are more, shall we say level-headed about their expectations around the Colorado Rockies, Tremaroli has a good grasp on some of the important things happening in Denver in September.

This isn’t playoff baseball (Kyle Kendrick is back in the rotation!), but there’s a lot of good stuff there. Or, at the very least, there are a few things to watch for if you’d like to follow the Colorado Rockies in 2016, because right now you’re going to get something of an idea for what part of that club may look like.

Next: Look at the Rockies' 2016 schedule

Sep 7, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; The Colorado Rockies celebrate a 6-4 win over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

See the Colorado Rockies’ 2016 schedule

(via MLB.com)

Pore over the Colorado Rockies’ 2016 schedule right here.

We’ll go month by month later on with what the schedule means, what to look for, what you should expect, etc.

For now, know this: Tulo returns to Denver with the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees will come to town this year, the Rockies open the season at Arizona, and they close it hosting Milwaukee at Coors Field.

More from Rox Pile

Home / Colorado Rockies News

Nolan Arenado deals with a chest contusion

Nick Hundley deals with a stiff neck

Justin Morneau’s best days are behind him

Kyle Kendrick’s big day back

Corey Dickerson returns from the DL!

The Asheville Tourists are in the playoffs

September isn’t worthless

See the Colorado Rockies’ 2016 schedule

More from Rox Pile

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