IN THE MIDDLE

With leadoff-hitting center fielder Willy Taveras on the disabled list because of a strained right quadriceps, manager Clint Hurdle plans to move second baseman Kazuo Matsui from second to first in the lineup and put shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in the No. 2 slot.

Defensively, Hurdle said, "it might be a three-headed monster," but Ryan Spilborghs will get most of the playing time in center field, with Clint Barmes and Cory Sullivan also playing there on occasion. Sullivan gives the Rockies a left-handed hitting option.

Taveras has been bothered periodically by the quadriceps problem for seven weeks, which led to the Rockies finally putting him on the disabled list.

"We had given him multiple days off on a number of occasions to see if it would improve and it didn't," Hurdle said.

NUMBERS GAME

.294 average for Tulowitzki, below, when he has batted second in the lineup. He is 45-for- 153 with seven home runs and 29 RBI.

REARMED

Right-handed pitcher Ramon Ramirez was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs, taking the roster spot of Taveras. The Rockies wanted to add bullpen depth after back-to-back games in which the starting pitcher retired only 10 batters. This is Ramirez's third stint with the Rockies this season.

"We've been able to mainly use the bullpen when we have wanted to instead of when we have had to and it's done a good job," Hurdle said. "(Relievers) have had to take on a load and we want to give them some help."