Blackmon exits with left hamstring cramp | MLB.com
The Colorado Rockies lost to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, and nothing about it felt particularly fun or hopeful. That was all true before star outfielder Charlie Blackmon left the game with an injury.
Thomas Harding reports that it was cramping, and that Blackmon “expects to play” Saturday. Manager Bud Black gave more of a wait-and-see answer, but I’m guessing he knows as well as anybody that the Rockies cannot afford even one game without Blackmon if they can help it.
Best hitters by lineup slot: Is Votto better than Harper? (ESPN)
Yes he is, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. Speaking of Blackmon, he is the obvious choice here for best lead-off hitter in the National League (Insider subscription required). That’s not to mention that he’s having one of the best lead-off seasons ever.
The Rockies need a jolt on offense, and while they have never indicated any interest in moving Blackmon in the lineup, one cannot help but think about it with each DJ LeMahieu double play. It’s a genuinely interesting question—would there be any payoff to moving him, or should they not mess with what works?
Nolan Arenado is not the best three-hole hitter here. This is nothing to be alarmed about—seriously, Joey Votto is crazy good.
Ranking the contenders' lineups (ESPN)
This is also behind an Insider paywall, and if you don’t have that subscription you might be annoyed with me at this point. Guess what? The Rockies are dead last. By Jeff Sullivan’s judgment, they have the worst offensive of any team vying for the playoffs. Feel better? About Insider, that is? I know it doesn’t make you feel better about the offense, but frankly I’m not sure how you could feel much worse about the Rockies’ lineup at this point.
Missing In Action: If you know location of Rockies offense, please contact authorities (BSN Rockies)
As Drew Creasman notes, the starting pitching wasn’t exactly on point Friday night either, but we know what the real problem is.
The Rockies offense and entering the Abyss (Purple Row)
But as Connor correctly points out, bad offense has actually been a problem for quite a while now—we’re just noticing it in a much more painful way now that the team knows how to pitch.
No, Millennials Aren’t Killing Baseball (FanGraphs)
Great stuff here about how the league has adapted to the immediacy of online viewing habits and what MLB can do moving forward to appeal to millenials (insert bad avocado toast joke here).