Michael Cuddyer was activated Thursday and hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning that wiped out the Miami Marlins’ 3-1 lead. The Colorado Rockies went on to win 5-3 for their fourth straight victory.
The homer was the 16th of the season for Cuddyer, who had been on the disabled list retroactive to Aug. 1 with a strained right oblique.
Cuddyer, a right fielder by trade, played first base, where he’s likely to get the bulk of his playing time with Todd Helton out for the season following hip surgery. Using Cuddyer at first base is a way for manager Jim Tracy to enable Eric Young Jr. to play regularly. Cuddyer has started 68 games in right field and 23 at first base.
Cuddyer said he is completely recovered from his oblique strain, so health is not the reason he’s going to play first base. It’s more a matter of keeping leadoff hitter Young, who has been torrid recently, in the outfield mix.
“You cannot take it away from him, not going to,” manager Jim Tracy said. “Not fair to him or the ballclub. We’re going to continue to run him out there to different spots in the outfield. He’s swinging the bat as well as a player can swing the bat right now, (and) the progress he’s made defensively has created an interesting dynamic.”
Young now gets good reads and takes direct routes on fly balls, something that wasn’t happening last year but has through his hard work. He went 1-for-3 with a run-scoring sacrifice on a successful suicide squeeze and has his average up to .323 with a .383 on-base percentage.
“He’s bringing quite a bit of energy to the top of our lineup,” Tracy said. “He’s playing at a very high level right now, he’s playing with a lot of confidence, and he’s doing a lot of very positive things for the club. He’s helped to energize this club over the last couple of weeks.”