Dickerson day to day with rib contusion
Left fielder leaves Thursday's loss to Cards after 5th inning
ST. LOUIS -- Rockies left fielder Corey Dickerson left Thursday night's 9-8 loss to the Cardinals after the bottom of the fifth with a right rib contusion after diving for Jason Heyward's line drive. His status is day to day, but he said the injury was "nothing serious."
A compromised Dickerson, who has managed a .315 batting average during a season that has been curtailed by a chronic left foot injury, pushed to his feet and threw the ball to the infield. Heyward rounded third with the possibility of an inside-the-park home run despite third-base coach Jose Oquendo's plea to stop, and he ended up in a rundown between third and home for the final out of the inning. He received an RBI triple for a 6-5 Cards lead.
Dickerson went through much pain to make a big play.
"I couldn't breathe," Dickerson said. "It took everything I had to go get the ball. I feel all right now, and that's what matter."
Dickerson was tended to by head athletic trainer Keith Dugger before slowly walking to the dugout. Brandon Barnes replaced him in the top of the sixth.
At least the injury was not a recurrence of the left foot plantar fasciitis that has forced Dickerson to the 15-day disabled list twice. He has had at least one hit in the five games since his latest return from the DL. Dickerson was 1-for-3 Thursday night.
Video: COL@STL: Dickerson gives Rockies lead on RBI single
"Right away, I was thinking it's probably the foot," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "I couldn't see him because he was in the corner and we can't see the corner from where we're at."
Dickerson's injuries have been a pain for the Rockies this season. Dickerson broke in during the 2013 season, but last year, in his first opportunity for regular starts, he finished with a .312 batting average. He fell just short of the requisite number of plate appearances to be listed among the National League leaders, but he established himself as a key to the lineup.