Tulowitzki exits in third with quad tightness

LOS ANGELES -- Sparking all-too-familiar trepidation, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki left Friday night's game against the Dodgers before the bottom of the third of the 6-4 loss with left quadriceps tightness. But Tulowitzki said he believes he caught it before it became a serious injury.

Tulowitzki grounded to Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw for the second out in the third and seemed to pull up shortly after leaving the batter's box.

"It was tight running down the line," Tulowitzki said. "It's better to play it safe. As soon as I felt something grab a little bit, and tight, I just jogged the rest of the way. When I got back to the dugout, I figured the best decision was to get out, play it safe and not turn this thing into a bigger problem."

As for Saturday, Tulowitzki said, "I'm going to come in and see how I feel."

Since suffering a torn left quadriceps tendon in 2008, leg muscle injuries have made an injury risk of Tulowitzki, an MVP candidate when healthy. Last year, he was hitting .340 with 21 home runs and 52 RBIs through 91 games when he suffered a left groin injury that required surgery to repair a torn left hip labrum -- thought to be the underlying cause of years of injuries.

Tulowitzki also had scar tissue removed from the left groin in 2012, when he was limited to 47 games. Since playing in 151 games in 2009, when the Rockies last went to the playoffs, Tulowitzki hasn't played in more than 143 games in a season.

Media reports suggested that Tulowitzki would try to force a trade, with the team struggling. But the shortstop, who as a rookie in 2007 was a major cog in the Rockies' only World Series appearance, insisted Thursday that he wouldn't ask for a trade, saying it would be unfair to bail on his teammates. Now the focus is his quad, but he doesn't believe that is a serious issue either.

Asked if he is worried about the tightness he suffered Friday, Tulowitzki said, "No, not at all."