Fowler sits on Saturday after aggravating knee

SAN DIEGO -- Center fielder Dexter Fowler was out of the lineup on Saturday after aggravating his previously injured left knee during Friday night's 4-3 loss to the Padres.

Fowler missed six games recently after twisting his knee; Friday was his third game back. He also attempted to play with injuries to his finger and wrist for two weeks before going on the disabled list before midseason.

The result is a Rockies club that has been left to wonder what might have been had Fowler, its leadoff hitter, not been injured.

In some production categories, Fowler has met or exceeded last year's totals despite playing 113 games, as opposed to 143. He has the same number of doubles (18), seven more steals (19 to 12) and one more home run (13 to 12). He also has walked 68 times, compared with 65 last year.

"He's a guy that impacts the game from both sides of the ball," manager Walt Weiss said. "He's a great center fielder. He's a leadoff guy that provides power. That's still a pretty unique tool set in the game. He's a pretty exciting player."