Daza impresses manager Black, with more youth on the way up

SAN DIEG O » Rockies manager Bud Black said before Sunday’s game that youth will be served over the next few weeks as Colorado takes a close look at some young players who could impact the team in 2020 and beyond.

“The next seven weeks, depending on David’s (Dahl) return and even into September, we’ll expose some guys to the major leagues,” Black said.

That exposure includes time for rookie Yonathan Daza, who earned three of four starts in center field for Colorado during the San Diego series. He went 3-for-7 at the plate in his first two starts and earned his first big-league RBI with a single that scored Raimel Tapia on Saturday night to give Colorado an early 1-0 lead.

“The at-bats look more comfortable for him than they did the first time he came up,” Black said of Daza. “He looks more comfortable in the box and around the clubhouse. I liked the base hit he got (Saturday) that scored Tapia. That was probably the best swing he’s taken since he’s been here.”

Black also noted how Daza looked fluid in the outfield, living up to the scouting report, Black said, that he was an above-average defender in center field.

Daza went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts Sunday before leaving the game in the fourth inning after fouling a pitch off his foot. Black said after the game that the injury probably won’t cause Daza to miss any time.

Since the start of the 2015 campaign, Colorado’s Nolan Arenado leads the major leagues with 590 RBIs and 387 extra-base hits. He’s second with 184 homers during that span. And he is just eight games from playing in his 1,000th career game in his seventh big-league season.

Black said Arenado’s 1,000th game played is a milestone to be admired. Arenado, who had the day off Sunday, will soon become the eighth player to play 1,000 games in a Rockies uniform.

“There are certain milestones that prove you’ve passed the test of time, and that’s always my goto standard,” Black said. “If you’re able to compete and perform at this level over a period of time, there are going to be certain markers that every player should be proud of.

“(Nolan) gets those milestones because he’s talented and he plays a lot of games. He’s durable, and his mentality is to play. I admire that.”

With his start on Sunday, Charlie Blackmon took the field in his 1,019th game for the Rockies, breaking a tie with Dante Bichette for the sixth-most games played in franchise history.

Todd Helton leads the category with 2,247 games in a Rockies uniform. Carlos Gonzalez is a distant second at 1,247.

it Sunday’s game marked the first time this season Charlie Blackmon batted third for the Rockies. He batted in the third spot in eight games last season and has in 12 career games.

It also marked the first time this season Blackmon had started a game not batting in the leadoff spot.

Blackmon finished the day 2for-5 with a run scored.