Todd Helton’s extended absence reverberated throughout the Rockies’ roster Saturday.
With Helton out indefinitely with a back injury, manager Clint Hurdle has made Garrett Atkins his primary first baseman, inserted prospect Ian Stewart at third base and called on Jeff Baker and Clint Barmes to share second.
Atkins hasn’t played first base regularly since his days at UCLA seven years ago. He reacted well to the move, even though he’s borrowing Baker’s first baseman’s mitt.
“Obviously, I was a little surprised,” Atkins said. “But this keeps my bat in the lineup, and maybe this will be the right mix to turn this thing around.”
For Stewart, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of this opportunity. It’s his first chance to play third in the big leagues — he filled in sporadically at second base in an earlier call-up. If he shows he can hit, it opens up the possibility that he could be moved to left field if and when Matt Holliday is traded.
“This is an opportunity for Ian to establish himself a little bit,” Hurdle said.
Stewart had an RBI single in his first at-bat Saturday. He was farmed out earlier this year when he struggled to make contact.
“I am trying to quiet everything down and use my hands more,” Stewart said. “I am excited to get in there at my natural position.”
