The Story story — that’s the story for the Colorado Rockies.
Two-time All-Star shortstop Trevor Story is expected to return to Colorado’s lineup on Wednesday for the middle contest of a three-game series at the Miami Marlins.
The Marlins won the series opener, 6-2, on the strength of 13 hits on Tuesday night. It was just the second win in the past 11 games for the Marlins.
Story, meanwhile, took batting practice and did some throwing prior to Tuesday’s game. All signs point to him playing for the first time since suffering an elbow injury on May 27.
The Rockies can sure use the help since they own the worst road record in the majors at 4-23.
Story would join a lineup that features right fielder Charlie Blackmon, who went 2-for-3 on Tuesday to pass Larry Walker for second place on Colorado’s all-time hit list.
Blackmon, who made his Rockies/MLB debut almost exactly one decade ago on June 7, 2011, has 1,362 hits — one more than Walker. Todd Helton is No. 1 on the Rockies with 2,519 hits.
“Charlie’s doing his thing,” Rockies manager Bud Black said of Blackmon, who is batting .274. “He’s using the whole field.”
On Wednesday, the Rockies will start red-hot lefty Austin Gomber (4-5, 4.12 ERA).
In his past five starts, Gomber is 2-1 with a 1.53 ERA, striking out 32 batters and walking just three in 29 1/3 innings.
Gomber has made just one career appearance against the Marlins, allowing two runs in one inning of relief while with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018.
Miami likely will counter with rookie left-hander Braxton Garrett.
“That’s a possibility,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said when asked about Garrett starting.
Garrett, 23, was Miami’s first-round pick — seventh overall — in 2016. The Alabama native is 3-1 with a 3.28 ERA in five starts at Triple-A Jacksonville this season.
In the majors, Garrett has made three appearances. He won his major-league debut last year on Sept. 13, beating the Philadelphia Phillies by allowing just one run in five innings.
This year, Garrett (0-0, 9.00) has made just one major-league appearance, pitching three innings and allowing three runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 15.
If Garrett gets the start on Wednesday, he will want to get some good plays behind him, such as the one turned in on Tuesday by left fielder Corey Dickerson.
Marlins broadcasters on Tuesday called Dickerson’s running play on a Garrett Hampson fly ball the best catch of the year by any Miami fielder.
Dickerson said his run-saving catch was made possible, in part, because he has been feeling healthier of late.
“When the ball was hit, I thought I had a pretty good read on it,” said Dickerson, who spent three years in Colorado (2013-15). “It’s crazy that — in a small time-frame — I had a lot going through my mind. I had a ball hit to me just like that at the beginning of the season, and I missed it by three or four feet.
“As I was running (on Tuesday), I put my head down for a few steps and ran to the spot. As I looked back up, I could see it, and I thought I could get it. I was able to keep my back eye on the ball, and I made the play.”
