Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez left Monday's game against the Texas Rangers due to a nagging ankle injury.
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Gonzalez's Ankle Flares Up
Monday, Aug. 8
Gonzalez left before his at-bat in the second inning due to inflammation in his left ankle, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, who noted Gonzalez originally sprained his ankle on Aug. 3. Gonzalez hasn't appeared in two of the four games since suffering the injury last week.
This would be a significant blow to the Rockies offense if Gonzalez is out for an extended period of time. He and Nolan Arenado have provided the pop in the order ever since Colorado traded Troy Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, and Gonzalez’s power from the left side adds balance to the lineup at Coors Field.
Heading into Monday night, Gonzalez had a .321 average with 23 home runs, 76 RBI and a .371 OBP in 106 games played his season.
Gonzalez is a three-time All-Star and won the National League batting title and a Silver Slugger award in 2010 with a .336 average, 34 home runs and 117 RBI. He added another Silver Slugger award to his resume in 2015 with a .271 average, a career-best 40 home runs and 97 RBI and was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing season for Colorado.
Gonzalez is also a solid corner outfielder and posted five total defensive runs saved above average in right field in 2015, per FanGraphs.
Colorado will likely turn to the combination of Ryan Raburn and Gerardo Parra to shoulder the load until Gonzalez returns.
Still, the Rockies haven't reached the postseason since 2009 and face an uphill battle in a loaded National League West that features the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. If Colorado is going to stay in the hunt for a wild-card spot, it needs Gonzalez in the middle of the order as half of a powerful one-two punch alongside Arenado.
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