Rockies vs. Pirates preview: Carlos Gonzalez back in the lineup

Carlos Gonzalez is back in the lineup for the Rockies, who open a three-game series against the Pirates on Friday at Coors Field.

Gonzalez sat out the Rockies' series finale against the Nationals on Wednesday. It wasn't really anything more than a rest day for the 28-year-old outfielder who is still fairly fresh off the disabled list, but it also could have been classified as a mental health day. Gonzalez has struggled since returning to action on July 11. He has at least one hit in six of the eight games he's played since then, but CarGo is hitting just .219/.265/.375 with only one home run, two walks and a whopping 14 strikeouts in 34 plate appearances. He also had a horribly embarrassing slide into third base on Monday night that resulted in a slightly banged-up wrist, but he appears to be just fine entering the weekend.

Now would be a great time for the Rockies' star outfielder to get himself right. Troy Tulowitzki and Justin Morneau are still on the disabled list for a few more games, and the hottest hitter in the lineup is a kid who is making his fourth major league start on Friday.

Brett Anderson will be on the mound for the Rockies for just the sixth time in 2014 and will be facing the same team he held to a run on four hits and a walk in seven innings on July 19. Anderson whiffed a season-high eight batters in that despite not having his best stuff. He'll need that tonight in order to break his slump at Coors Field; Anderson has allowed 11 runs on 20 hits in 11 home innings spanning two starts compared to only five runs on 10 hits in 16 frames on the road.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $18,000 Fantasy Baseball league for tonight's MLB games. It's $2 to join and first prize is $2,000. Here's the link; jump in now!