DENVER (AP) -Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, mired in a 1-for-16 slump that dropped his batting average to .165, was replaced in the Colorado Rockies’ starting lineup by Clint Barmes on Tuesday night.
Barmes, who took a .400 batting average into the game against Philadelphia, had been playing some second base in place of rookie Jayson Nix, who is batting just .132. Jeff Baker (.111) got the start at second base.
All this juggling was sparked by Tulowitzki’s slow start.
“He’s had some challenges. Sitting him down is not the worst thing that’s ever going to happen to him,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Getting Baker in the lineup is going to be a good thing for him. Some of the balances you have as a manger is you try to find ways to get individuals jump-started and you’ve got to find a way to work the entire 25-man roster and keep them in play and get opportunities to stay sharp.”
Hurdle said he didn’t explain anything to Tulowitzki, who signed a $31 million, six-year deal over the winter after his sensational rookie season in which he led the Rockies to their first World Series.
“I didn’t let him know. I just put the lineup up. Sometimes that’s the best way,” Hurdle said. “There are different ways to approach things, and sometimes you put it up. We need more out of our offense. Everyone’s involved. It’s a team game, we win as a team, we lose as a team. This is a way to get somebody else in play see if they can give us a spark.”
Hurdle said he’s also considering moving Tulowitzki out of the No. 2 spot in the batting order, but he was coy when asked if benching his 23-year-old star shortstop was a one-game deal.
“I don’t know. I’ve thought about it, I just don’t care to share it,” Hurdle said.
Tulowitzki, who took batting practice with the reserves and wasn’t available for comment before the game, collected just 13 hits in his first 79 at-bats with six doubles, no homers and seven RBIs.
Tulowitzki also got off to a slow start last April, but that’s when he was a wide-eyed rookie breaking into the big leagues. He quickly recovered and put together one of the best seasons by a rookie shortstop in major league history, batting .291 with 24 homers and 99 RBIs while leading all shortstops in fielding.
The last thing the Rockies expected was for “Tulo” to need time off so soon to straighten things out.
“It’s not a slap in the face,” Hurdle said. “Players know when they’re playing well and when they’re not. No manager sits a player when he’s hot.”
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