Fast-healing Murphy’s impending return should jump-start offense

Although the Rockies’ offense is starting to turn things around, the impending return of injured first baseman Daniel Murphy could speed up the process.

When the veteran departed from the Coors Field clubhouse Friday night to begin his injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque, he told teammates he would be back soon from the broken index finger he suffered in the second game of the season.

But it appears that Murphy could be a quick healer. Murphy went 1-for-5 on Saturday night and then went 1-for-4 with a home run and two walks for the Isotopes on Sunday. The fact the Murphy played seven innings Saturday night is seen as a good sign.

“In most cases, when a guy’s out for three or four weeks, they play (just) five innings and get a couple of at-bats, so this is a good thing,” manager Bud Black said.

Colorado could use Murphy’s veteran presence at the plate when runners are on base. Although the Rockies went 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position Sunday in their 4-1 victory over Philadelphia, they still left 11 men on base. They entered Sunday’s game with a .200 average with runners in scoring position, the worst average in the National League.

“We had a number of guys on base and probably a little bit of anxiousness and maybe a little bit of coming out of our approach and being overly aggressive at times,” Black said after Saturday’s game when missed chances haunted his team in an 8-5 loss to Philly. “And maybe not being ready to hit a couple of pitches early in the count. It’s a learning experience for a number of guys tonight. A lot of younger guys in our group had some opportunities. But that’s part of growth to go through this and learn how to handle these big-league situations.” Wolters heats up. Catcher Tony Wolters hit just .170 last season, but sticking with a consistent approach, being patient and not trying to do too much is paying off so far this season. He had two hits Sunday, including a two-run double. He has batted 7-for-14 over his last four games, raising his average to .295.

“I’m just trying to get my pitches to hit and react to them,” he said. “I’m sticking to my approach and trying to be there for the team.” Hot stuff. Charlie Blackmon is suddenly Colorado’s hottest hitter. He batted 3-for-4 on Sunday, hitting a triple in his second game in a row. Starting with his two-run walk-off homer in the 12th inning Friday night, Blackmon is 8-for-10 with two homers and two triples.

The right fielder owns Philly. For his career, Blackmon is 56 for 161 (.348) with 10 homers and 23 RBIs against the Phillies.