DENVER -- Players can be hard to impress, since they've been achieving amazing feats their entire athletic lives. But outfielder Carlos Gonzalez says even Rockies teammates are taking a few moments to get caught up in the debut of shortstop Trevor Story, who entered Saturday's game with the Padres having homered in all four games, six times total.
Story homered twice Friday in the home opener, a 13-6 loss to the Padres.
"After he hit his first homer, during a pitching change, I go to center field and Charlie Blackmon is like," Gonzalez said, imitating Blackmon's slack-jawed expression. "I was like, 'This is crazy.'
"Then he hit another one, and I was like, 'What the …'"
Outfielder Brandon Barnes said he couldn't help notice Story Fever in downtown Denver.
"I was driving here today, and there was a bar that had writing on the side of it that said, 'Trevor Story is on pace to hit 127 home runs,' or something like that, 'Go Rockies,'" Barnes said. "I was like, now you've got to change that to 243.
"The kid's been here one day and he's already got signs up."
First baseman Ben Paulsen, who had a locker beside Story in the Rockies' clubhouse, was joking about the Twitter account of Giants outfielder Hunter Pence. The profile says, "I'm @BusterPosey's good friend." Well, @Benjaminpaulsen can say the same about @TrevorStory2.
"You know, I'm Trevor's friend," Paulsen says, smiling and looking over at Story, who nodded. "I mean, really. We were workout partners this winter. We've been friends a long time."
Worth noting:
• Rockies righty relief pitcher Jason Motte, who suffered a right shoulder strain late in Spring Training, said Saturday he should soon begin throwing, but he'll leave the Rockies to do it at the team's complex in Arizona. "I know next week the team is going to Chicago, but I saw the weather there today," Motte said, referring to the game with the Indians with a 32-degree game time temperature. "The weather there is not on-point for starting a throwing program."
• Rockies right-hander Jon Gray, on the disabled list with an abdominal strain, had his rehab start for Class A Modesto pushed back by rain in Stockton, Calif., on Saturday. He will start Sunday, instead.