Weiss encouraged by Tulo's progress

DENVER -- The simple action of running probably doesn't seem like much to most, but in Troy Tulowitzki's case, it's enough to make Rockies manager Walt Weiss feel Tulo may be ahead of schedule with his left hip flexor injury.

"I'm a little encouraged -- cautiously -- but I think it's a good sign to have him running like he is right now," Weiss said.

Tulowitzki hasn't been able to perform even the simplest of baseball activities since suffering the injury on July 19. And considering his history of lower body injuries, Weiss didn't give him much of a shot in returning from the disabled list when he was first eligible, which was Monday.

Yet the sight of Tulowitzki doing some light running pregame gave Weiss enough confidence to say his DL time "maybe won't be as long as I thought it would."

Tulowtizki underwent a dry needling procedure late last month in an effort to increase his blood flow and, in turn, speed up the healing process.

Tulowitzki had been playing at an exceptional level before landing on the DL on July 22. In 91 games before the injury, Tulowitzki led the Majors in batting average (.340), on-base percentage (.432), and slugging (.603).