Todd Helton

Todd Helton has been put on the 15-day DL with an upset stomach?

Clearly, he suffers something more serious than a bug or food poisoning.

I am sure glad the Rockies have Ryan Shealy.... Wait, he is on the DL with an elbow injury which I intuit is serious enough that TJ surgery is an option if rest doesn't heal it a la Jeff Salazar. (Salazar didn't need TJ surgery but is out until next month.)

This leaves Eli Marrero at 1B? God, what an awful line-up between Sullivan and Barmes have 6 walks in 135 plate appearances. Matt Holliday has not taken one walk in 63 ABs and Jason Smith and Luis Gonzalez combine for in 69 PAs with Smith taking all four.

Hawpe and Atkins have excellent OBPs but even those are highly dependent on their batting average - Atkins 5 walks in 73 PAs and Hawpe with 7 in 65.

What the injury does is move Marrero out of the 4th OF slot and allow Ryan Spillborghs and Choo Freeman a chance for some Colorado ABs.

I do not know how long the team with stay with this configuration, but if Helton is out for a longer period than 15 days, I'd expect the Rox to try to put a hitter with more power at 1B.