[/media-credit]Carlos Gonzalez.
Carlos Gonzalez is back in the Rockies’ lineup, batting out of the No. 1 spot once again. Gonzalez, who’s been out after injuring his right wrist earlier this month against the Royals, said he’s not 100 percent healthy, but ready enough to compete and eager to get back into the game.
“It’s huge,” Mark Ellis said of his teammate’s reappearance at the top of the order. “He’s a force to be sure. He can make it 1-0 very quickly.”
With Gonzalez back in the lineup, the freshly-returned Dexter Fowler will hit out of the No. 7 spot. For now, the situation makes sense, but Jim Tracy said he hasn’t ruled out moving Fowler and Gonzalez around the lineup in the future.
“Due to CarGo not being available to us yesterday, leading [Fowler] off made the most sense,” Tracy said. “But in today’s case with CarGo coming back and not feeling like I wanted to rearrange the furniture. . . to think along the lines of sliding CarGo back to the three spot in the order, I think a little bit too quick to do that.”
“But as we move forward, does that become an option for us? Certainly it does, but let’s let him get back out there and get his feet back on the ground and see where things go. And know that we have a very, very viable option if in fact that situation presents itself.”
Tracy said he has full confidence in Ellis batting behind Gonzalez, and hasn’t considered moving him because of the impact he’s made in the No. 2 spot since arriving in Denver.
“For now, rather than disrupt that, I just felt like it was in our best interest to leave him right there where he’s at because he’s such a good bat handler,” Tracy said, adding that with runners on, he trusts Ellis to get the RBI. “You’re bringing a very professional hitter to the plate. It’s noteworthy the damage that he’s done offensively at Coors Field, unbelievable.”
Your lineups for today’s game at Coors Field:
Colorado Rockies
1. Carlos Gonzalez LF
2. Mark Ellis 2B
3. Todd Helton 1B
4. Troy Tulowitzki SS
5. Seth Smith RF
6. Ian Stewart 3B
7. Dexter Fowler CF
8. Chris Iannetta C
9. Jhoulys Chacin RHP
Milwaukee Brewers
1. Corey Hart RF
2. Nyjer Morgan CF
3. Ryan Braun LF
4. Prince Fielder 1B
5. Rickie Weeks 2B
6. Casey McGehee 3B
7. Josh Wilson SS
8. Jonathan Lucroy C
9. Zack Greinke RHP