Nick Hundley Rejoins Colorado Rockies After Concussion

Nick Hundley is back from his stint on the 7-day concussion disabled list and the Colorado Rockies catcher proclaimed himself fit prior to being inserted into the starting lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Coors Field.

“I feel great. I’m ready to roll,” Hundley said. “I’ve had a couple (concussions) before but it’s been long enough in between that I think we’re in good shape.”

Hundley was placed under concussion protocol after taking a hard foul tip off the mask against the San Francisco Giants on April 13. It was his first concussion since being with the San Diego Padres in 2012.

To protect Hundley, the Rockies brought him back slowly, allowing him to catch portions of two games with Triple-A Albuquerque before recalling him. Once he was back at Coors Field, Rockies head athletic trainer Keith Dugger was prepared with a mask that would help Hundley avoid any recurrences.

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“Doogie is really forward thinking,” Hundley said. “He’s taken the situation under control and has a lot of different padding in the helmet. I have extra layers and some Kevlar coming in. It’s pretty cool.”

Hundley said he was very glad that the game has changed and that concussions are being taken more seriously.

“It’s different now than when I first came up. There’s so much more information and knowledge and it’s taken so much more seriously now than it was,” Hundley said. “I have two daughters and I want to be able to talk to them when they’re older. You see all of the concussion stuff and it’s scary but, in this situation, knowledge is power. I’ve gained a lot more knowledge on the situation.”

Colorado manager Walt Weiss said he was happy to have Nick Hundley back behind the plate.

“It’s definitely an emotional boost for us,” Weiss said. “He’s one of our leaders. He is real good at directing traffic from behind the plate and respected in the clubhouse. He adds to the club. We’re glad to have him back.”

Hundley joined Albuquerque during a road trip to Las Vegas, which is his home in the offseason. Hundley’s family was able to attend the games as the catcher took his final steps toward coming back to Coors Field. While Weiss talked about Hundley’s leadership skills, the veteran catcher said he didn’t impart great amounts of knowledge while in Triple-A but rather just enjoyed his time back on the field.

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“Those guys are doing fine. They’re doing great. They don’t need my help,” Hundley smiled. “It was fun to be back out there. When it gets taken away from you for a little while, you appreciate it that much more.”

Nick Hundley is back from his stint on the 7-day concussion disabled list and the Colorado Rockies catcher proclaimed himself fit prior to being inserted into the starting lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Coors Field.

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