Phoenix – Ryan Shealy is a young man stuck in limbo.
In his short stint with the Rockies, he has shown he can play in the big leagues. Since being called up July 26, he has fielded flawlessly. Despite some rough patches – such as striking out three times Friday night against Arizona’s Brandon Webb – Shealy is batting .292. He had a career-high four RBIs Saturday night.
If the muscular, 6-foot-5, 240-pound Shealy played any other position besides first base, he likely would have earned a spot on the big-league roster for the rest of the 2005 season. But first base belongs to all-star Todd Helton, who is due back from the disabled list soon, perhaps as early as Wednesday.
That means Shealy likely will be sent back down to Triple-A ball.
“Getting to the majors is what you work for all of your life, so this is kind of a Catch-22 for me,” Shealy said Sunday. “This is where I want to be, but if they send me back down to play and get more at-bats, then you can’t argue with that. But I think I have done some good things.”
Sending Shealy back to Colorado Springs is what the Rockies intend to do, although he could be called back up in September.
“I believe that when a healthy Todd Helton comes back up, unless something happens, we will be forced to move Ryan Shealy back to Colorado Springs,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “He needs to play every day. And I think it would be very difficult to get Helton out of the lineup three times a week.”
Helton (strained left calf muscle) has been on the disabled list since July 26. He’s scheduled for a rehab start in Colorado Springs tonight.
Greene passes test
Saturday, injured catcher Todd Greene took a major step toward rejoining the Rockies. He started for Colorado Springs, and although he failed to get a hit in three at-bats, his injured right hamstring withstood the rigors of catching five innings. The Rockies intend to bring Greene along slowly to ensure he doesn’t reinjure his hamstring.
Injury update
Reliever Dan Miceli was not available to pitch Sunday, but he did make a practice appearance on the mound before the game. He will undergo an MRI on his right foot today, but trainer Keith Dugger said that was a precautionary move. Miceli was hit by a line drive Thursday.
Outfielder Dustan Mohr had a stiff neck Sunday after trying to make a diving catch in center field Saturday night. Mohr did not play Sunday, but said he could have played if needed. Fellow outfielder Larry Bigbie also did not play Sunday. He has a strained right shoulder, but said it’s not serious.
Footnote
Despite giving up four home runs and admitting he pitched a poor game, Rockies starter Jeff Francis improved to 11-7 with Colorado’s 14-7 victory Saturday night. Although Francis has pitched well this season, particularly at home, he has been the beneficiary of terrific offensive support. The Rockies are averaging 7.07 runs per nine innings when Francis pitches. That’s second in the league behind the 7.37 runs the Cardinals give Matt Morris.
