Gonzalez to begin rehab phase of return

DENVER -- The lineup is finally back in sight for Rockies left fielder Carlos Gonzalez.

After more than three weeks on the disabled list, Gonzalez said Friday he would make three rehab starts with Triple-A Colorado Springs. He was scheduled to fly to Fresno, Calif., where the Sky Sox were playing Friday night, and said he was scheduled to play seven innings Saturday followed by full games Sunday and Monday.

Gonzalez said he hoped to be back with the Rockies on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Gonzalez has been bothered by a sprained right middle finger since July 7 and eventually landed on the disabled list Aug. 4. He took batting practice for the first time Tuesday, but the rehab starts are the first indication Gonzalez should be back with the Rockies very soon.

Despite missing nearly a month, Gonzalez leads the Rockies in homers (26) and RBIs (70), and his .591 slugging percentage leads the National League. Those numbers have manager Walt Weiss counting down the days until Gonzalez is back on the field.

"It's big that we finish strong as a team, and CarGo has talked about getting back here with us and helping us finish strong," Weiss said. "So yeah, it would be huge to have him back and have that bat back in the middle of our lineup. Fun to see him out there doing his thing again."