Ian Stewart wants to play, wants to contribute, wants to be a part of the Rockies’ sizzling start. But most of all, he wants a base hit.
“I haven’t been able to throw out a hit here or there,” said Stewart. “A broken bat, a jam shot, nothing. It’s really been humbling. It’s wearing on me mentally, but I’m trying to stay positive and continue to work in the cage so I can be ready. That’s all I can do.”
Stewart is trying to find traction after missing a big chunk of spring training with a sprained right MCL and a cramp in his left hamstring. Now that he’s healthy, he finds himself in something of a no man’s land for a hitter.
“I’m a little behind on the fastball and a little out in front on the breaking ball,” he said. “I know Skip (Jim Tracy) isn’t going to play me just to play me, but I hope I can come out and have some good at-bats, string together three or four starts and start feeling comfortable again. I think good things will happen from there.”
Stewart hasn’t played much, what with Ty Wigginton available and Jose Lopez playing more third base in light of Jonathan Herrera’s meteoric start. The bottom line: He’s hitting .050 (1-for-20) with 11 strikeouts, and he’ll have to work his way out of it in limited playing time. At this point, the Rockies aren’t considering sending him to Triple A to rediscover his timing.
“When you’re hitting .050, it can’t get much worse, but it would be a lot harder if we were 2-10,” said Stewart. “I’d probably be one of the scapegoats if we weren’t playing good. I just feel like once I get this thing going, we’re going to be that much better.”
Tracy on Stewart: “The bottom line is this: Right now, how can you not play Jonathan Herrera? That’s No. 1. Then you have a situation where you know you’re going to get at-bats for Ty Wigginton because of his versatility.
“With Lopez and Stew, neither one of them are completely locked in. So moving forward, what I’m going to do is continue to create opportunity for both guys. It’s not a matter of me quitting on anyone or anything like that.”
Mound matters. Tracy has pushed Ubaldo Jimenez’s return back a day to facilitate Esmil Rogers staying on his regular schedule. Rogers will pitch Monday against the Giants, followed by Jimenez on Tuesday and Jorge De La Rosa on Wednesday. If Rogers were to skip Monday, he wouldn’t get work until April 22.
Footnotes. Pencil in career minor-leaguer Alan Johnson as Sunday’s tentative starter, but the Rockies are prepared to call up another spot starter if Johnson is needed in relief. . . .
Franklin Morales, who injured his ankle Thursday in New York, has been cleared to pitch. . . .
Troy Tulowitzki on Jackie Robinson Day: “It’s a pretty special day in baseball. He’s done so much for the game. He’s someone who, I’m sure if I got to watch him play, I would have appreciated what he brought to the field every day.”
