Rockies Give Inconsistent Gonzalez A Breather
DENVER (The Sports Xchange) - Carlos Gonzalez was not in the Colorado Rockies' starting lineup Wednesday ahead of a team day off Thursday.
Manager Walt Weiss said when he rests the right fielder, he looks to do it for two days. With left-hander Robbie Ray starting for Arizona, Weiss chose to rest the left-handed hitting Gonzalez for the series finale with the Diamondbacks.
It was just the second time this season that Gonzalez was not in the Rockies' lineup. However, he entered the game on a double switch in the seventh and flied out in his only at-bat during the Rockies' 8-7 comeback win.
Gonzalez, 30, has had a puzzling season. He is hitting .304 (41-for-135) in 33 games but without the production he or the Rockies would expect from their primary No. 3 hitter.
Gonzalez has seven doubles, one triple, four homers and 12 RBIs. He has gone 13 games without an RBI, the last one coming April 24. In that stretch, Gonzalez has gone hitless in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Gonzalez has gone 90 at-bats since he last homered April 16. Since then, he has three extra-base hits, all doubles.
Always a free swinger, Gonzalez has struck out 31 times, or once every 4.3 at-bats, slightly higher than his career mark of once every 4.8 at-bats entering this season, but not an alarming increase.
He isn't driving the ball with any consistency. Opponents typically shift on Gonzalez, so many of the hard grounders to the right side are being gobbled up by the second baseman in short right field.
Gonzalez has looked more vulnerable against left-handed pitchers this season, going 8-for-38 (.211) with one homer, three RBIs and 13 strikeouts.
"This is baseball," Gonzalez said, summing up his season. "Sometimes you're going to go through a little slump. That's how I feel right now. I don't feel too good at the plate, but I'm getting hits once in a while and I'm surviving. That's not easy to do when you don't feel good, but the good times will come and we've just got to continue to work.
"Keep working and believing that those bad times are going to be in the past. You can't sit around and wait for it. I continue to work like I always do, and I believe in myself."
Gonzalez got off to a slow start last year. At that time, though, he was still strengthening his left knee after having it surgically repaired in August 2014. Gonzalez says he currently is not having any problems with his legs.
At the end of May last year, Gonzalez was hitting .219 with four homers, 13 RBI and a .627 OPS in 45 games. In his final 108 games, Gonzalez hit .292 with 36 home runs, 84 RBIs and a .961 OPS. So recent history suggests Gonzalez can emerge from his early-season doldrums and do major damage.
Should the Rockies fall out of contention, Gonzalez represents a potential trade chip. He is making $17 million this year and will make $20 million next season before becoming a free agent.
With that much money coming, Gonzalez must again show he can be a productive middle-of-the-order hitter to attract interest. Then again, the National League West looks like a division in which no team will dominate, and hence, if the Rockies remain contenders, they would have no thoughts of dealing Gonzalez.
