Last season, Tyler Colvin’s game was a mess. Pull crazy, strikeout prone and impatient at the plate, he hit .150 for the Chicago Cubs with an on-base percentage of .204. When the Rockies traded for him in exchange for struggling third baseman Ian Stewart, it appeared to be a swap of damaged goods.
Not anymore.
Colvin had a career day in the Rockies’ 11-10, 11-inning victory over the Nationals on Thursday afternoon at Coors Field. He had four hits, coming up a double short of the cycle, while driving in five runs.
Colvin tripled in the fourth, so he knew he was on the cusp of something rare.
“Once I got to third base, (Ryan) Zimmerman said, ‘Just go ahead and hit the double already,’ ” Colvin said with a laugh.
Clearly, Colvin is in a good place. He has hit .400 over his last 13 games (20-for-50), with five doubles, five home runs and 16 RBIs. He’s moved his average for the season to .309.
Now the Rockies face a decision on how to find enough playing time for the 26-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder.
“We will continue to find a place for him, continue to get him at-bats,” manager Jim Tracy said. “This was a nice find for us.”
There is a logjam in the Rockies’ outfield, with likely all-star Carlos Gonzalez shining in left, Dexter Fowler blossoming in center and veteran Michael Cuddyer having a solid season in right.
Earlier this season, Colvin was getting playing time at the expense of Fowler. But Fowler is coming into his own, with a .292 average, 10 homers, 10 doubles and eight triples.
The solution could be having Colvin and Cuddyer share time in right field and at first base, which would mean less time for 38-year-old first baseman Todd Helton, who is hitting a career-low .246.
However, playing first base can still be an adventure for Colvin. He played just four games there for the Cubs last season and has just three starts at first his season, but he’s willing to play more there.
“I’m as comfortable as I can be,” he said. “I haven’t played a ton of first base in the last few years, but I will just keep taking groundballs and keeping working at it.”
As a rookie with the Cubs in 2010, Colvin hit .254 with 20 home runs. Then he fell off the map. But, in a season of misery for the Rockies, his comeback story has been one of the few bright spots.
“Tyler Colvin’s a guy nobody talks about, but he’s putting up numbers as good as any fourth outfielder in the game, and his road numbers are pretty darn good, too,” Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd told season-ticket holders during a conference call Wednesday.
Indeed, Colvin’s .274 road average stands heads above the team’s .243 road average.
For the record, Colvin has never complained about a lack of playing time.
“I feel like I’m getting enough time, I really do,” he said. “If I can give anybody a day off, I’m ready to go. I’m also ready to come off the bench.
“I’m just doing what I can to help us win.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
