Veteran Outfielder Charlie Blackmon Reinstated From Colorado Rockies' Injured List

Charlie Blackmon, who has been out with a fractured hand since June 10, is finally in line to return to action for the Colorado Rockies.

The Colorado Rockies have activated outfielder Charlie Blackmon from the 10-day injured list, the team announced Monday.

To make room for Blackmon on the 40-man roster, the Rockies designated utility man Cole Tucker for assignment. Colorado also activated outfielder Sean Bouchard from the 60-day injured list, but immediately optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Blackmon has not played in the majors since June 10, when he suffered a fractured hand against the San Diego Padres.

After initially joining Triple-A Albuquerque for a rehab assignment on Aug. 1, a setback prevented Blackmon from playing for the Isotopes. The 37-year-old veteran eventually got some Triple-A action under his belt this past weekend, when he went 3-for-10 with two doubles and an RBI across two games.

Blackmon was hitting .265 with five home runs, 26 RBI and a .769 OPS in the big leagues this season before he went down with his hand injury.

From 2014 to 2022, Blackmon appeared in 1,253 of the Rockies' 1,356 games. As franchise cornerstones Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu came and went, Blackmon remained a staple at Coors Field.

Blackmon's production has dropped off a bit in recent years, though, especially in regards to his power, speed and defense.

After hitting .306 with an .880 OPS, 28 home runs and 20 stolen bases per 162 games in his first seven full seasons, Blackmon has hit .267 with a .751 OPS, 16 homers and three stolen bases per 162 games since. The four-time All-Star has also largely stepped away from his usual spot in the outfield, spending the majority of 2023 as a designated hitter.

Blackmon will start at DH and bat out of the leadoff spot for the Rockies against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night. First pitch is slated for 8:40 p.m. ET.

Colorado has lost five games in a row to drop to 45-73, putting the team on pace for its worst winning percentage in franchise history.

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