Arenado in heart of order despite shoulder

Rockies manager Bud Black has no intention of moving Nolan Arenado out of the heart of the order.

Yes, Arenado’s left shoulder is aching and he was batting just .256, with a .751 OPS ( well below his career mark of .891) entering Friday night’s game against the Dodgers at Coors Field. But Black hit Arenado third Friday night and Arenado has batted either third or fourth in the lineup every game he’s started this season.

“You want your best hitters to get the most at- bats, and that’s how we are lining it up,” Black said. “There’s really nobody, right now, really hot. ( Raimel) Tapia is holding his own, leading off, and I think he’s a good fit at the top of the lineup. But I don’t think there is any magic lineup or movement of lineup that will really get anybody going.”

Arenado has been batting for a decent average lately, hitting safely in 16 of his last 20 games with a .307 average, six doubles and nine RBIs. He has eight home runs but just one since Aug. 20. The third baseman has said that his sore shoulder does not allow him to follow through as he normally does.

Special K. Black has a great appreciation for Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, who’s scheduled to start Saturday night’s game at Coors Field. Black, after all, was a left- handed pitcher for parts of 15 big- league seasons.

He’s seen Kershaw evolve from a young power pitcher to a more nuanced veteran. This season, Kershaw ( 5- 2, 2.28 ERA), is once again performing like one of the best pitchers in the game.

“The fastball looks a little crisper, and so does the slider,” Black said. “It looks a little crisper, so I think there’s been maybe just a little uptick in his overall stuff. He’s always been able to locate the ball, and the last number of years I think we’ve seen him do that very well.”

Kershaw’s fastball is coming to the plate between 91 and 93 mph, two to three ticks faster than it was each of the past two years.

Footnotes. Boston acquired minor league right- handed reliever Jacob Wallace from the Rockies on Friday, completing the Aug. 31 trade for outfielder Kevin Pillar. Wallace was selected by the Rockies in the third round of the 2019 draft. … Black said that righthanded relievers Mychal Givens and Yency Almonte have been dealing with shoulder soreness, which is the reason why they have not been used lately. Black, however, said that Givens would be available Friday night if needed.