There was a touch of gallows humor in the Rockies’ clubhouse Sunday morning. On the message board, someone drew a sign that read: “Disabled List Inn: No Vacancy.”
The Rockies can only hope that slugging third baseman Garrett Atkins heeds the message. His stiff neck benched him for the second consecutive game. With Matt Holliday (left hamstring), Brad Hawpe (right hamstring), Clint Barmes (right knee) and Troy Tulowitzki (left quadriceps) all on the disabled list, the Rockies need Atkins’ hot bat in the lineup as they embark on a 10-game road trip.
Atkins doesn’t think he will go on the DL but doesn’t know how long it will be before he regains full motion in his neck.
“Of course I want to be out there, especially with Holliday being out now,” said Atkins, who is hitting .338 with eight homers and 30 RBIs. “We’re going to need as many guys as we can get out there. It’s frustrating that it all happened at the same time.”
Holliday update.
As expected, Holliday was put on the 15-day DL on Sunday. His spot on the 25-man roster was filled by outfielder Cory Sullivan, called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Holliday was injured running to first base on a groundout in the ninth inning Saturday.
When the Rockies left for Philadelphia on Sunday night, Holliday was left behind.
“We are going to leave Matt back for a few days because we have all the pertinent training rehab stuff here,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We’ll revisit when he might catch up with us.”
Sullivan’s travels.
For the second consecutive season, Sullivan began his season in Triple- A. He said he is handling the situation better this time.
“I never thought last year would be helpful, but in a way, it was,” said Sullivan, who was hitting .275 with a .347 on-base percentage for Colorado Springs. “Mentally, I was disappointed when I got sent down this spring, but I was able to draw on my experience from last year, when I dealt pretty tough with it. It was pretty hard on me, emotionally.”
Footnotes.
Center fielder Willy Taveras missed his second consecutive game because of a bruised right knee but said he could be ready to play tonight. . . . Joe Koshansky became the fifth player in Sky Sox history to hit for the cycle Saturday night against Tacoma. He hit a two-run homer in the sixth and bagged his triple in the eighth.
