Colorado Rockies: Struggling Nolan Arenado sits with first place on the line

The Most Valuable Player of the Colorado Rockies and franchise figurehead Nolan Arenado has been benched. Bud Black made the decision about his third baseman given he’s 5-for-his-last-40 at the plate over his last 10-plus games.

Currently, the Colorado Rockies are a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the chase for first place in the National League West. If the Rockies can hold on over their last 22 games, it would be their first division title. Unfortunately they’ll have to do — at least on Saturday night — without their best player.

Clinging to a slim lead over the Dodgers (and facing those same Dodgers on Saturday night at Coors Field), Arenado has “the start off” and rookie Ryan McMahon will take his place at third base.

"“It’s extremely disappointing,” he told Rox Pile and other members of the media. “I don’t make the lineup. I want to be out there and I voiced that but I’m not performing.”"

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Now there is some question about his shoulder and if there is an injury holding the All-Star third baseman back. We asked Arenado about it after Friday night’s loss and here were his comments.

A few weeks ago, he left a game against the Dodgers with shoulder fatigue that he had said was affecting him for the past week. Given that, Arenado has been dealing with this for about a month.

Since August 3, he’s batting .259 (29-for-112) with just nine extra-base hits.

"“It doesnt hurt hitting,” Arenado reiterated. “Just throwing and it’s not 100% throwing. It won’t be good throwing until next season so hopefully we can stop with those questions because I’m gonna play through it and deal with it.”"

Arenado is available to pinch hit and will proceed with normal work this afternoon ahead of the game.

McMahon, who debuted last season has spent time at first, second and third this year, though his natural position is the hot corner. The once-top Rockies position prospect is only hitting .230 but he’s 19-for-69 since his last callup with a few massive late-game hits. That explains his 1.660 WPA over the last 31 games, so the Rockies should be fine for the day as the left-hander will step into the box on Saturday night to face hard throwing righty Walker Buehler.