Worth noting
• Right-hander Juan Nicasio, out since June 2 with a strained left knee, will not throw his simulated game on Thursday because of fluid on the knee. Nicasio threw a 40-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday and ran agility drills, then reported with the fluid on the knee Wednesday. This is the second such buildup; doctors drained the knee days after the injury was sustained. Nicasio was hoping to begin an injury rehab assignment soon. Now that's uncertain.
• Veteran pinch-hitter Jason Giambi was not available during Tuesday night's 3-2 victory over the Cardinals because of a stiff back, and his availability on Wednesday was questionable as well.
Giambi's lack of availability explains manager Jim Tracy's decision on Tuesday not to pinch-hit for pitcher Jeff Francis in the bottom of the fifth with two out and nobody on, even though Francis was not going to pitch the sixth.
• With two out in the seventh on Tuesday night, Tracy made a double-switch to bring in reliever Matt Belisle. The problem was that it cost him outfielder Tyler Colvin, who had accounted for all of the Rockies' runs with a three-run homer earlier in the game. Tracy said the move pained him, but he had to use Belisle in the next inning -- a number of relievers weren't available because of Josh Outman's tough two-inning outing the previous night -- and he wanted to do all he could to delay Belisle's spot coming up in the batting order.
• Right-hander Juan Nicasio, out since June 2 with a strained left knee, will not throw his simulated game on Thursday because of fluid on the knee. Nicasio threw a 40-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday and ran agility drills, then reported with the fluid on the knee Wednesday. This is the second such buildup; doctors drained the knee days after the injury was sustained. Nicasio was hoping to begin an injury rehab assignment soon. Now that's uncertain.
• Veteran pinch-hitter Jason Giambi was not available during Tuesday night's 3-2 victory over the Cardinals because of a stiff back, and his availability on Wednesday was questionable as well.
Giambi's lack of availability explains manager Jim Tracy's decision on Tuesday not to pinch-hit for pitcher Jeff Francis in the bottom of the fifth with two out and nobody on, even though Francis was not going to pitch the sixth.
• With two out in the seventh on Tuesday night, Tracy made a double-switch to bring in reliever Matt Belisle. The problem was that it cost him outfielder Tyler Colvin, who had accounted for all of the Rockies' runs with a three-run homer earlier in the game. Tracy said the move pained him, but he had to use Belisle in the next inning -- a number of relievers weren't available because of Josh Outman's tough two-inning outing the previous night -- and he wanted to do all he could to delay Belisle's spot coming up in the batting order.