DENVER -- Daniel Murphy, big news when he signed with the Rockies for two years and $24 million last winter, has spent much of this season as a background character.

Murphy missed 20 games in April with an avulsion fracture of his left index finger, and he was affected by the injury more than he would admit after his return. Add to that a performance at first base -- he’d been a second baseman previously -- that has been below-average by traditional and advanced metrics.

But games like Murphy’s 4-for-5 performance with four RBIs on Saturday night in an 11-10 victory over the Padres at Coors Field serve as a reminder that Murphy has a nice track record and can be of help should the Rockies regain their mojo in 2020.

Murphy, 34, who hit .326 with a .901 OPS in June and July before tailing badly as the Rockies dropped from contention, entered Sunday’s game (which he didn’t start) at .286. A prideful and scientific hitter, Murphy has a shot to pull his batting average to or above .300 by season’s end. It would be a benchmark for Murphy, who entered 2019 with a .299 career average that he can raise above the magic figure with a strong finish -- although he answered with a quick “no” when asked if reaching that number is important.

“Just don’t give away any pitches, because that’s the choice you have to make,” Murphy said when asked what he deems important. “You can’t manufacture base hits. Sometimes you hit the ball hard and don’t get rewarded for it, and sometimes you don’t hit the ball hard and you do get rewarded for it. But engaging on every single pitch is a choice you can make.”

Whatever Murphy’s final numbers are, a good late performance can be a springboard toward 2020, when true impact is expected.

“Murphy’s got a lot of pride,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “This guy’s a pro -- three-time All-Star, led the league in a couple different categories over his career. We talked about the early season injury to the finger, and that took awhile to come back. But I sense that Murph is a pro. He’s going to dedicate himself this offseason to come back and have a good year.”

Will Murphy’s offseason preparation help him return to form in a couple of areas next season, when he is guaranteed an $8 million salary and a $6 million buyout on a $12 million mutual option for 2021?

In 2016 and '17 with the Nationals, Murphy established career highs in doubles (47 and 43) and home runs (25 and 23). Last year, however, a knee injury limited him to 91 games and he dropped to 15 doubles and 12 homers. Murphy has taken to advanced metrics that value launch angle, and the reasonable expectation was that his power numbers would increase at Coors Field.

But in 121 games going into Sunday, Murphy had 35 doubles and 13 homers. Some of it was finger injury-related, but a fair question is whether any residual effects from the knee injury are to blame for affecting his power base.

His movement also is a question at first base, where Murphy’s 0.4 ultimate zone rating (UZR, per FanGraphs) and negative-1.4 error runs (ErrR, also per FanGraphs) put him nowhere near the upper echelon of National League first basemen.

Asked about changes he can make to prepare, Murphy said, “Those are for me, my wife and my family to know.”

Freeland still pushing
Black said lefty Kyle Freeland (3-11, 6.98 ERA) will face hitters at Coors Field on Tuesday, still with an eye toward a return from the left groin injury he suffered in August.