The Rockies have activated outfielder Carlos Gonzalez from his DL stint, but cleared a roster spot by sending outfielder/first baseman Ian Desmond out on his own. As Nick Groke of the Denver Post tweets, Desmond is dealing with a calf strain.
It seems an MRI did not bring an optimistic enough outlook to allow Desmond to avoid at least a ten-day hiatus. The significance of the injury isn’t yet known, however.
Desmond opened the year on the DL and is now headed back. But it is what happened in-between that has caused concern. The 31-year-old carries only a .283/.321/.388 batting line through 236 trips to the plate, which is especially meager when adjusted for the advantage of playing at Coors Field.
While it hurts to see the organization’s $70MM free-agent signee producing so little, Colorado has motored along just fine. Mark Reynolds has performed well beyond expectations at first base, and Raimel Tapia has emerged as another useful outfield option. Even after a recent rough patch, the Rox sit in excellent position to take a Wild Card spot — though getting a healthy and effective Desmond would certainly represent an important element of locking up a postseason berth.