Updates from Saturday, August 2
Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reported on Carlos Gonzalez’s status:
Original Text
Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is going through something of a lost season due to various injuries, and it appears he may have to fight through yet another setback after aggravating an ankle sprain in the team’s Friday night game against the Detroit Tigers.
The Colorado Rockies PR account relayed the news regarding Gonzalez’s injury:
Detroit Tigers beat writer Matthew B. Mowery noted how his injury came to pass:
The Rockies are currently 44-64 and in last place in the NL West; Gonzalez’s struggles have factored into the team’s dour performances. Another long-term injury could be a major setback for the two-time All-Star.
After batting over .300 for four straight seasons, the 28-year-old lefty’s numbers have taken a huge dip this season. He’s sporting a .239/.289/.425 slash line with 10 home runs and 36 RBI in 65 games.
Gonzalez has struggled with knee and ankle injuries in this season. He missed nearly all of June and the majority of July with pain and inflammation in his left index finger.
Doctors eventually discovered a tumor in his finger and removed it in early June, per The Denver Post‘s Nick Groke. Things haven’t been easy for Gonzalez since he returned to the field, as he hit just .176 in July, per Baseball-Reference.com.
A smart if not particularly speedy baserunner, Gonzalez has just three stolen bases on the year, another disappointing downturn considering his 87 thefts over the course of the past four seasons.
Gonzalez’s talents have not disappeared; baseball revolves around finely tuned mechanics, even if you’re a contact hitter in the batter-friendly confines of Coors Field. The nagging finger issue is indeed the culprit. Hopefully, the injury won’t have any lingering effects on his mental and physical recovery from the finger tumor issue.
Gonzalez is a star on this team and the second-most important player in the lineup, after the incomparable Troy Tulowitzki. It may be a lost season in Denver, but Gonzalez needs games to get back into the swing of things and try for a comeback season of sorts in 2015.
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