PITTSBURGH -- Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was absent from Colorado's starting lineup in Wednesday's game against the Pirates, and he also will not start Thursday, when the Rockies return to Coors Field to start a four-game series against the Giants, Rockies manager Bud Black said.
Gonzalez is 0-for-24 over his last seven appearances and is batting .215 with a .629 OPS on the season. He was replaced in Wednesday's lineup by rookie Raimel Tapia.
"You want him in there because you know what he can do, right?" Black said, adding that Gonzalez has been "working hard" in the batting cage and conferring with hitting coach Duane Espy and assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar.
"These things, when you're going through them, they're tough," Black said. "And when you come out of them you look back and can usually say, 'It wasn't as bad as I made it out to be.' I mean, you can look at the numbers and they're not good right now. But he's gonna come out of it."