DENVER — Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon has a fractured right hand and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
Blackmon was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday, and Colorado recalled infielder Coco Montes, who was to make his major league debut at second base against the San Diego Padres.
Blackmon, who turns 37 on July 1, fractured the fifth metacarpal when he was hit by a pitch from Kansas City‘s Daniel Lynch leading off a game on June 3. Blackmon remained in the game and started the next four games before pinch hitting in Saturday’s loss to San Diego.
“We’ve been monitoring the whole time and it hasn’t felt great,” Black said. “A couple different X-rays showed no fracture, and then based on how he’s felt the last couple of days, Keith X-rayed him again last night and it showed the fracture,” Black said, referring to head athletic trainer Keith Duggar.
Black was not surprised Blackmon continued to play with his injury.
“Charlie’s a gamer. Nobody loves to play more than Charlie,” Black said. “There are probably a few guys that are tied but nobody likes to play more.”
Blackmon is the longest-tenured player on the Rockies roster. He made his major league debut in San Diego on June 7, 2011, and was a fixture in Colorado’s lineup by 2013.
He won the National League batting title, mostly hitting leadoff, in 2017 when he hit a career-high .331 with 37 home runs, 213 hits, 137 runs, 104 RBIs and 14 triples.
He is hitting .265 with five home runs this season. His double Wednesday against San Francisco was the 300th of his career, second in franchise history to Todd Helton’s 592.
Colorado also optioned infielder Alan Trejo to Triple-A Albuquerque, recalled catcher Brian Serven from the Isotopes and transferred right-hander Antonio Senzatela (elbow) to the 60-day injured list.