Atlanta – Sharp pains in Todd Helton’s gut put him in a hospital bed last month, but the first baseman’s passion for baseball soon will put him back in the Rockies’ lineup, possibly as early as Friday.
“He’s ready to rock ‘n’ roll,” trainer Keith Dugger said Monday before the Rockies played the Braves. “As soon as he hit one ball off the tee in a batting cage, he said, ‘I’m ready.”‘
Helton faces a tuneup before he begins hitting big-league pitches. After going through an extensive workout Sunday in Denver, he is scheduled to play five innings tonight in Colorado Springs for the Sky Sox against Tacoma.
He’ll get seven more innings of rehab work Wednesday, take off Thursday, then play Friday, probably for the Sky Sox. Helton is eligible to return from the disabled list Friday and there is a chance he could be in the Rockies’ lineup when they host Houston.
Just 12 days ago, Helton was lying in a hospital bed with severe abdominal pain, facing grave worries about his health and his baseball future. Helton was diagnosed with acute terminal ileitis, a painful inflammation of the small intestine, and spent three nights in the hospital.
Now the Rockies’ best hitter is days away from slipping on his No. 17 jersey.
“It’s a really good sign and we’re encouraged,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We’ll start him off slow and evaluate. A lot of ground was covered. He’s been able to get out and get active and respond well, and his stamina seems to be OK.”
The last time Helton played was April 19 in a 13-4 loss to San Diego at Coors Field. At the time, Helton had appeared in 15 games and was hitting .347 with one homer and nine RBIs and was leading the National League with a .529 on-base percentage.
In 2004, third baseman Garrett Atkins missed 15 games with Colorado Springs because of a similar intestinal ailment. He predicted it’s going to take a little time for Helton to regain his strength.
“After that first nine-inning game, you’re going to be pretty tired,” Atkins said. “You’re weak for a little while, maybe for a couple of weeks, but he’ll be back and he’ll be able to swing and do everything normal.”
Ardoin keeps sliding on offense
Catcher Danny Ardoin’s struggles at the plate continue. Though he started and cut down Marcus Giles’ stolen-base attempt in the fourth inning, Ardoin’s batting average continues to plummet. After going 0-for-2 Monday night – Jamey Carroll pinch hit for him in the eighth – his average dipped to .167. He has no RBIs this season.
“He looks tight. He doesn’t look comfortable or confident,” Hurdle said. “But his opportunity is out there, and he needs to move upon it, find a comfort zone in which he can be as productive as he can possibly be.”
Footnotes
Pitcher Sun-Woo Kim was with the team Monday in Atlanta for his bullpen session, but he’s still scheduled to make his final rehab start Thursday in Colorado Springs. …
Jason Jennings registered his 500th strikeout in the third inning when he got Jeff Francoeur swinging.
Rockies recap
Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings has had his share of hard-luck outings over the past two seasons. Before Monday’s 2-0 defeat to the Braves, who got a one-hitter from Tim Hudson, Jennings had two other fine games that went for naught during 2005. On April 11 at Arizona, he allowed just two runs on three hits in six innings, but the Rockies lost 2-0. On July 15 at Cincinnati, Jennings limited the Reds to two runs on five hits, but the Rockies lost 4-3.
RENTERIA ROLLING: With a single in the first inning, Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria extended his hitting streak to 16 games to open the season. That ties the Atlanta record for the longest streak to open a season. Felipe Alou, now managing the Giants, opened the Braves’ 1966 season with a 16-game streak. Dating to last season, Renteria has hit safely in 17 consecutive games.
POWER SURGE ENDS: After hitting at least one home run in all of their first 13 road games, the Rockies didn’t come close to going yard Monday at Turner Field against Hudson (2-2). In fact, Monday marked the first road game all season that the Rockies didn’t have an extra-base hit.
