VALAIKA BECOMES 2ND INFIELDER LOST TO INJURY

ARIZ.» The Rockies are suddenly searching for infielders after learning Saturday that a second utility man will miss the remainder of spring training.

First, Pat Valaika, Colorado’s primary pinch hitter and backup infielder last season, suffered an oblique strain a week ago and will miss two to three weeks, manager Bud Black said Saturday. Valaika suffered the injury swinging during batting practice.

“You never want to be put on the shelf,” Valaika said. “I’m antsy already.”

And veteran Shawn O’malley, the club learned, has a broken left hand that will require surgery, scheduled for Tuesday in Scottsdale. He will miss four to six weeks — and his shot at making the opening-day roster has ended.

Valaika considers his injury a day-to-day predicament, he said. But his injury, a tricky ailment to diagnose and one that makes swinging a bat difficult, puts Valaika in doubt for opening day. If his timeline extends to three weeks, it would allow him only two or three Cactus League games before the season starts on March 29.

“From what I hear, it’s going well,” Valaika said of his recovery. “But these things are easy to aggravate.”

Spring done. O’malley on Friday injured his left hand diving for a ball up the middle in the third inning against Arizona. Playing second base, he made the stop and threw out a runner at first, but he landed with his hand under his body.

The Rockies signed O’malley in December to a minor-league contract in part to fill the role once held by Alexi Amarista. He had played well through the early days of spring training.

“It’s why we signed him. He has a skill set that plays,” Black said. “It’s unfortunate this happened. He was a guy we were looking at to figure in with us this year, on opening day or the regular season.”

Other options. The Rockies’ remaining utility infielders in spring training include Daniel Castro, who signed a minorleague deal in November after spending time with the Braves in 2017, and minor-leaguers Garrett Hampson and Brian Mundell. None of the three are on the club’s 40-man roster.

Castro started at third base on Saturday against the Brewers and went 0-for-2 at the plate. Ryan Mcmahon, who seems on pace to start at first base on opening day, has also played at third and second in the minors. Ian Desmond, who likely is penciled in to start in the outfield, can play first base and was once a shortstop. And backup catcher Tony Wolters was a middle infielder before converting to catcher.