DENVER — The Colorado Rockies placed Troy Tulowitzki on the disabled list on Friday, and the star shortstop could miss up to six weeks because of a broken rib.
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies placed Troy Tulowitzki on the disabled list on Friday, and the star shortstop could miss up to six weeks because of a broken rib.
Team spokesman Nick Piura said an MRI taken Thursday night revealed a right rib fracture. Tulowitzki was injured earlier in the day while diving for a ball in the eighth inning of a 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s a big loss for us,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Friday before Colorado hosted the Philadelphia Phillies.
“It’s also an opportunity for our team to step up and do what I think we’ve done well all season and that’s respond to adversity,” Weiss said. “We’re not going to make up that type of production regardless of who plays but there’s no doubt in my mind we can still win games and be a factor in this race throughout the season.”
Tulowitzki told the Denver Post in a text that he was in a lot of pain and was upset after working so hard to come back from an injury-plagued 2012 season.
He underwent season-ending groin surgery last June, and the Rockies stumbled through a franchise-worst 98-loss campaign.
Colorado has been much more competitive this year, and a big reason is Tulowitzki, who ranks second in the NL with a .347 batting average, third in homers (16) and fourth in RBIs (51).
“It’s tough on him,” Weiss said. “He worked really hard this offseason.”