Rockies send Tulo back to Denver for more opinions

PHOENIX -- The Rockies sent shortstop Troy Tulowitzki back to Denver and will be receiving more opinions on why he is experiencing discomfort in the front part of the left hip when he increases his rehab activity.

Tulowitzki has not played since July 19 because of a left hip flexor strain. This week, at Coors Field and at Chase Field, he has been taking batting practice and doing some movement drills but has been unable to graduate to running the bases.

"Tulo is feeling better; he's still, to be honest with you, having on-and-off discomfort in the front of the hip," Rockies head athletic trainer Keith Dugger said. "We're trying to isolate exactly is this from the strain that he had or is there an underlying hip labrum, something like that, that we can address. Our goal right now is to see if he can make it through the season.

"He's not ready to go out on a rehab assignment. There's no need for him to go to San Diego. He can go back home, get his work in the cages, use the pool for some of the higher-intensity exercise we're doing. We're going to consult with a few doctors."

Dugger would not call the issue with the front of the hip a setback, just "something that isn't going at the rate we would expect." Dugger said the Rockies must be careful, because Tulowitzki will always be at injury risk in the upper leg area because of a torn left quadriceps tendon he suffered in 2008.

Tulowitzki still leads the Majors in batting (.340), on-base percentage (.432) and OPS (1.035).