MINNEAPOLIS — It’s not like Rockies third baseman Ian Stewart is trying to rediscover his distant past. Reconnecting with April would work.
Stewart hit .293 in April, followed by .269 in May and .143 in June, leading to increased playing time for Melvin Mora at third base.
Stewart has altered his stance, moving his hands lower, to try to get back on track.
It hasn’t worked yet, but he was encouraged by a laser he hit to Twins center fielder Denard Span on Tuesday night.
“I hit it as hard as I could,” Stewart said. “I haven’t squared up a ball like that in a while. I felt good, so hopefully it will lead somewhere.”
The long dry spell — he hit four of his seven homers in April — has dropped Stewart’s batting average to .260, creating images of 2009, when he nose-dived to .228.
“The only difference is I’ve been able to kind of throw out a hit here and there,” he said. “Whether it was a broken bat or a seeing-eye single, I’ve been able to keep my head above water without fully going down the drain.
“I’ve been fortunate with that, so I’m just trying to stay positive. It’s just a matter of time before I get going again.”
Injury report.
Reliever Matt Daley was placed on the 15- day disabled list because of inflammation in his right shoulder. It’s a condition he has battled before, but he was able to pitch through in previous years.
“It’s been there for the last few weeks and it’s gotten progressively worse,” Daley said. “(Tuesday) I threw a bullpen, and it didn’t respond at all.”
Daley was 0-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 26 appearances. He was replaced by right-hander Juan Rincon, who was 2-2 with a 7.25 ERA in 24 games at Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Say what?
Todd Helton has hit well in the two hole — 8-for-20 through Tuesday — but he’s hoping his time there is short. Said Helton, when asked if he liked the two hole: “I love Tulo.”
By the numbers.
Remember this the next time somebody calls Coors Field a launching pad: Helton has two homers this year, both on the road. Stewart, meanwhile, has seven homers, all on the road, and Troy Tulowitzki has nine, all but two on the road.
Footnote.
Double-A Tulsa right-hander Bruce Billings, a 30th-round pick in 2007, was named the Rockies’ minor- league pitcher of the month for May. Billings had a streak of 39 1/3 scoreless innings snapped Tuesday.
