Tulo Fans

Troy Tulowitzki isn’t 100 percent.

“It’s going to take some time for something like (groin surgery) to heal up,” Sky Sox manager Stu Cole said. “He has a ways to go after that surgery.”

Sunday, the Rockies’ shortstop played the five innings he was scheduled for in the Sky Sox’s 5-3 win over Las Vegas, but Cole says the star isn’t back to full strength.

“You can’t expect a guy to be 100 percent after a surgery like that,” Cole said. “It’s not realistic. It’s just going to take some time.”

On his last at-bat, Tulo hit a slow chopper to Las Vegas 51s shortstop Brian Bocock, who muffed on it — then picked it up and threw No. 2 out by a handful of feet.

“He isn’t going to be running full speed yet, so I think for him on the bases, he is just being more cautious,” Cole said. “He didn’t tell us that anything was bothering him though.”

In Tulo’s previous three games in Colorado Springs since his surgery, he went 6-for-12 with two home runs.

On a sellout Sunday at Security Service Field, he went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk.

Tulowitzki left the stadium without talking to the media.

When asked, “Why put (Tulo) out there instead of letting him heal completely in the offseason — with the risk of getting him reinjured?”, he quickly interjected.

“I don’t have an answer for that,” Cole said. “We down here just do what we’re told. Everything went well with his surgery, so they wanted to get him out playing and doing some activity. We trust our medical staff and all the people that work with them.”

Source: The Gazette-Colorado Springs

While Troy Tulowitzki wants to play again for the Rockies as soon as possible, he knows he has to play it smart.

That’s why Tulo won’t rejoin Rockies this weekend, and why it could be a while until he comes back from his rehab assignment following surgery to his left groin. There is no set timetable for his return.

After playing three rehab games for Double-A Tulsa, Tulowitzki said pain is not a problem, but getting past the memory of the groin injury is.

“It’s just (being) timid, making sure, playing safe” he said. “The last time I went on rehab, I came back and got hurt again, so that stuck in my mind a little bit. But each game I played I got a little bit better.”

“It’s going to be a slow process, I know that,” Tulowitzki said Tuesday afternoon before the Rockies played the Dodgers. “I’m going to take it slow, and when I’m ready, I’m ready.”

Tulowitzki went 2-for-4 with a homer for Double-A Tulsa Monday night as a designated hitter, but he admitted that he’s not cutting loose and running free on the basepaths. He said that right now he’s playing “station to station” baseball, and that’s not acceptable.

“It felt good, but then again I didn’t push it,” Tulo said. “The most I played (at Double-A) was seven innings last night at DH. The most I’ve played at short was five innings.”

Tulo reiterated that his goal is to return this season, but …

“No doubt, but at the same time I have to be smart about it,” he said.

The shortstop will play for Triple-A Colorado Springs over the next three days, but after that he’s not sure what will happen.

“The next time I take the field I want to be able to go 100 percent, I want to be able to go from first to third on a base hit,” he said.

Tulo’s been sidelined since late May with a groin ailment that eventually required surgery to remove scar tissue. He’s hitting .287 with eight homers and 27 RBIs in 47 games.

Source: The Denver Post

NEW YORK — Troy Tulowitzki didn’t need a doctor’s permission slip. His workout Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field was proof that his left groin checked out fine in Philadelphia, clearing the way for him to begin a rehab assignment Friday at Double-A Tulsa.

He is scheduled to play five innings for the Drillers. Jason Giambi will join him in Tulsa, serving as the designated hitter Friday.

Tulowitzki, who has been out since May 30, traveled to Philadelphia on Wednesday morning with Rockies athletic trainer Keith Dugger to visit the doctor that performed surgery on the shortstop’s left groin on June 21. The Rockies have remained in communication with the doctor throughout Tulo’s recovery.

“I just don’t want to have to think about it,” Tulowitzki said. “That’s my goal.”

“I willl be smart about it. There’s no rush.”

Wednesday’s appointment was a final hurdle to clear before beginning the rehab assignment.

Tulowitzki took groundballs to his left and right Wednesday afternoon, throwing off balance and on the run. Then he spent several minutes turning double plays with Josh Rutledge at second base. Rutledge was testing his own injured left quadriceps. Both players followed the fielding drills by taking batting practice on the field.

Giambi has been fielding and hitting the past few days, slowly regaining his strength after being sidelined with a viral infection.

“The last time I was (in Double-A) was 1994 with Huntsville,” Giambi said.

Tulowitzki is expected to rest Saturday, then play again Sunday. The tentative plan is for him at Giambi to return to Denver on Tuesday to be re-evaluated.

It’s unlikely either Tulowitzki or Giambi will be activated before Sept. 1.

Source: The Denver Post

NEW YORK — Levity helps when approaching forgettable history. The Rockies are playing better, but 100 losses lurks as a possible conclusion to the season.
Infielder Jonathan Herrera is not Ryan Spilborghs, but he has a way of lightening the mood in any clubhouse. Asked about his swinging, 70-foot pop-up single in Sunday’s win at Coors Field, he said, “The wind was blowing in.”

No teammate tore his oblique laughing, a sign that the roster carnage might finally remain minimal. With about a quarter of the season left — 42 games — there were actually developments Monday that didn’t leave fans requiring Kleenex or an aspirin.

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki took groundballs and batting practice at Citi Field. Wednesday, he will visit the Philadelphia specialist who performed surgery on his left groin June 21. If Tulowitzki passes that checkup, he is expected to begin a rehab assignment this weekend at an undetermined locale (my educated guess is Tulsa, followed by Colorado Springs).

The Rockies have remained in contact with the doctor throughout Tulowitzki’s recovery. He has progressed on schedule, with the Rockies taking every precaution given the nature of their season.

First baseman Jason Giambi also traveled with the team to New York, working out and taking groundballs. He is likely to begin a rehab assignment this weekend as well if his energy level remains consistent over the next few days. If Giambi plays this month, he could be traded to a contender. He’s not looking for an escape hatch, only to prove to himself that he can still swing it when his body is right.

Getting Tulo back on the field to play in September seems foolish to a lot of fans, based on my e-mails.
But it accomplishes three things: It eliminates all doubt in his head entering the offseason, gives all-star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez a chance to finish with a flourish (he has seven home runs in the 71 games Tulo has missed) and pairs Tulowitzki with Josh Rutledge, the potential opening-day double play combination next year.

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Source: The Denver Post

Troy Tulowitzki cleared another obstacle in his recovery from surgery on his left groin on June 21, running the bases at Coors Field on Saturday. He will travel with the Rockies on the upcoming road trip to continue working out. Without a setback, he could begin a rehab assignment the following week. He remains on track to play again this season.

“He looked good. He’s tired, but there were no issues with the leg,” Rockies athletic trainer Keith Dugger said.

Tulowitzki turned double plays on Wednesday and said he was able to throw better than at anytime this season. He was able to keep his left leg stiff, adding velocity and accuracy to his throw. Tulowitzki wants to play again this season to go into the offseason without any doubts.

“It’s important that I get back out there, mentally,” Tulowitzki said a few days ago.

The two-time Gold Glove winner has not played since injuring his leg breaking out of the batter’s box on May 30.

Source: The Denver Post

[caption id=”attachment_1524” align=”aligncenter” width=”300”] Taking BP on August 1, 2012[/caption].

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Troy Tulowitzki is an elite player and that the Rockies are better with him in the lineup. What is being questioned is whether he should return this season.
For the first time since he underwent surgery to repair his left groin June 21, Tulowitzki turned double plays Wednesday before the game. Typically, this drill would amount to mindless calisthenics. But what the two-time all-star shortstop said afterward made it seem more significant.
“Since I hurt my leg (in the second game of the season in Houston), this was the first time I threw the ball to first and could see the carry on it,” Tulowitzki said. “Early in the season, I babied my throws and guided them because of my leg. Now I actually feel like I can be myself again.”
Forty-five minutes after Tulowitzki’s admission, left-hander Drew Pomeranz jogged from foul pole to foul pole before signing several autographs for kids. He was supposed to start Wednesday, but was scratched and moved to Sunday because of pain in his biceps. The Rockies are trying to gently nudge him to the finish line, providing extra rest while allowing Pomeranz to learn how to work through soreness.
“I don’t want to go out there and not be able to throw with max effort,” Pomeranz said. “So at this point, why not wait a little bit so I can pitch at my best?”
This season is lost in the standings, relevant now for evaluations of players and staff. When looking for the reasons that the Rockies will be respectable next year, Tulowitzki and Pomeranz are prominent on that list.
While statistical seamheads insist that lineup protection is a myth, tell that to Carlos Gonzalez. He has seven home runs since Tulowitzki went on the disabled list, and recently completed an 0-fer road trip.
“They don’t want me to beat them, so I have to settle for singles and walks,” Gonzalez said. “Then I get impatient.”
Tulowitzki has lived that emotion for months. After simulated baserunning and fielding drills Wednesday, he’s inching toward a rehab assignment. The plan is for him to travel with the team next week to New York and Chicago. But there’s an outside shot he could head out before then.
“I am not thinking about my leg. I feel free out there again,” Tulowitzki said. “Around five to six weeks, it wasn’t responding the way I wanted. But just as (Rockies trainer Keith Dugger) said, at seven to eight weeks there was big improvement. I am going to keep listening to what he tells me to do.”
Tulo wants to ease his mind and eliminate doubt entering the offseason. That might mean two weeks of at-bats.
The Rockies have quietly protected Pomeranz, the prized jewel in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal. Despite being in a four-man rotation for a chunk of the season, Pomeranz has not thrown on three of days rest once. That was by design. It’s easy to forget he was at Ole Miss two years ago.
“He was going to be skipped a few times. It can be frustrating because he’s not having the season he would like,” said pitching coach Bo McLaughlin of Pomeranz’s 1-7 record with a 5.04 ERA. “And he’s learning about pitching when you aren’t at your best.”
Pomeranz has dealt with this type of pain since college. It’s related to his delivery, when he slings the ball, requiring more effort. Part of a becoming a rotation anchor is gobbling innings, and giving the team a chance to win (the Rockies are 34-33 this season when the starter logs at least five innings).
The Rockies need Pomeranz to push through this barrier for his growth. Tulowitzki needs to return for his mental health, illustrating the need to balance patience with performance.
“I want to play,” Tulowitzki said. “But you have to be smart and keep making progress.”

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Source: The Denver Post

Fans who arrived early to Coors Field on Wednesday witnessed an encouraging sight.

There was shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, making strong throws from the hole, turning smooth double plays and gliding on the basepaths. Tulo’s personal workout lasted about 30 minutes and by all accounts it was a success.

“I didn’t even have to think about it,” Tulo said. “I felt free out there.”

“It was better than I thought it would be,” trainer Keith Dugger said.

Tulo, on the DL since late May after undergoing surgery to remove scar tissue in his left groin, is inching closer to returning to the big-league club. First, he has to play a series of minor-league rehab games. The plan, right now, is for Tulo to travel with Rockies next week on their seven-game road trip to New York and Chicago. He would continue his daily workouts under Dugger’s watchful eye. Then Tulo would begin his rehab assignment, putting him in line to rejoin the Rockies in early September.

The initial prognosis was for Tulowitzki to be out six to eight weeks, so he’s right on schedule. But, he admitted, slow progress during the early stage of recovery was tough to take.

“After five to six weeks, it wasn’t responded how I wanted it to, so that was hard,” he said. “They kept telling me when I got to this point it would be better and they were right. I can feel a huge difference.”

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Source: The Denver Post

SAN FRANCISCO — Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has often said being out of the lineup is difficult. It was darn tough Friday afternoon.

As part of his comeback from left groin surgery in June, Tulowitzki went through his toughest day yet, with a grueling set of movement exercises — running and lateral movement, among others — administered by head athletic trainer Keith Dugger at AT&T Park.

“We signed up for this because we want to be out there on the field, so just watching is tough,” Tulowitkzi said. “Then you have to rest and you get a little bit out of shape, so they put a whole bunch on your plate to try to catch up. That’s what they’re doing with me.”

Tulowitzki, who hasn’t played since May 30, said beyond normal soreness that comes with heavy physical work, he feels good. The next major step will come when the team returns to Denver next week and Tulowitzki will field balls and make throws to first base the way he would in a game. He’s been fielding but not throwing and contorting his body into unusual positions the way a shortstop must.

Manager Jim Tracy warned not to get too excited because there are other steps. Tulowitzki is seven weeks into an eight-week prescribed recovery from surgery to clear scar tissue from the groin. But he is feeling more like a part of the team.

“It’s getting close,” he said. “The stuff I can do out there now, quick steps and running, has made huge improvements. When I get back home and throw after ground balls, that’ll be another big step. It seems like every week it’s closer and closer.”

Source: MLB.com

With Tulo on the DL, more photos have been popping up from games earlier in the season and I’ve finally had the time to upload them to the gallery. I’ve also added magazine scans and my own photos of Tulo from this season. Enjoy!

Gallery Links
• Colorado Rockies > Games > 2012 > May 22, 2012
• Colorado Rockies > Games > 2012 > May 23, 2012
• Colorado Rockies > Games > 2012 > May 25, 2012
• Colorado Rockies > Games > 2012 > May 27, 2012
• Colorado Rockies > Games > 2012 > May 28, 2012
• Colorado Rockies > Games > 2012 > July 12, 2012
• Colorado Rockies > Games > 2012 > July 14, 2012
• Colorado Rockies > Games > 2012 > July 18, 2012
• Magazine Scans > Rockies Magazine > April 2011
• Magazine Scans > Rockies Magazine > May 2012
• Magazine Scans > Rockies Magazine > June 2012
• Unsorted > Fan Photos > Jen

LOS ANGELES — Rockies’ shortstop Troy Tulowitzki tested his surgically-repaired left groin before Tuesday’s game with the Dodgers in a workout that included 75 ground balls on the Dodger Stadium infield.

According to Rockies manager Jim Tracy, not all of those ground balls were right at the 27-year-old, as Tulowitzki also fielded balls to his left and right. Those quick steps into the hole and up the middle represent important steps in Tulowitzki’s road back from an injury that has limited him to just 47 games this season: They forced Tulo to make repeated lateral movements, something that places stress on the groin.

“That’s probably the most workload I’ve done in one day. Eeverything felt good,” Tulowitzki said.

More importantly, he said everything still felt good on Wednesday, which has Tulowitzki on pace for what Tracy called a “ramped up” workout Friday.

Tulowitzki had arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue in his left groin in June, after re-aggravating the injury in a Triple-A rehab assignment at Colorado Springs. That experience has Tulowitzki being a little more careful this time around.

“Before, I think, if I had any problems I would try to fight through it. Now, I’m pretty honest with these guys,” Tulowitzki said. “I don’t want to back things up. It’s already been a long year and there’s no reason to carry this into the offseason.”

While he’s being cautious, Tulowitzki said his goal is to return this year and build chemistry with the young talent that has emerged in his absence, as the Rockies look to build into 2013.

“I want to get a chance to play with some of these young kids,” Tulowitzki said. “To take the field with them, get familiar with them, and them get familiar with me heading into next season if they’re going to be a part of the team.”

Source: MLB.com