It wasn’t ticker-on-the-bottom-of-your-screen breaking news, but Rockies left fielder Raimel Tapia drawing a walk on Saturday against the Giants was notable. He had exactly one in his previous 31 games since last September.

When Tapia followed that with another walk on Sunday, it’s possible that a small but important piece of his approach had returned.

Tapia is an aggressive hitter, one who can foul off tough pitches and even make contact on pitches not necessarily near the strike zone. But when Tapia elevates his selectivity just a little, the statistical difference is huge.

• Aug. 11, 2020-Sept. 2, 2020: 88 plate appearances, 12 walks, .342/.437/.425 slash line

• Sept. 4, 2020-April 9, 2021: 128 plate appearances, 1 walk, .309/.317/.407 slash line

With Tapia’s role being to reach base and keep innings going, the on-base difference of 120 points is major. The fewer at-bats that end with Tapia chasing a pitch yet putting it in play also mean wonders for the batting average.

Yet, Tapia arriving at the right level of aggressiveness is a difficult balance.

“I never think of walking,” Tapia said in Spanish, with bullpen catcher Aaron Muñoz translating. “If I start thinking of walking, I might take a pitch right down the middle, and I don’t want to do that. I like to keep my zone small, and I like to be patient up there and stick to my game plan.”

When done right, all that can produce an occasional walk. With two out and one on the ninth inning of Sunday’s 4-0 loss at San Francisco, Tapia fouled off two Wandy Peralta left-on-left, two-strike pitches, then he let a sinker sail below the zone for ball four to keep the inning alive.

In the Saturday and Sunday games vs. the Giants, Tapia went 4-for-7. He went from batting .200 at the end of the season-opening homestand to .286 going into Tuesday’s start against righty Trevor Bauer in his Dodger Stadium debut.

Rockies hitting coach Dave Magadan said as soon as Tapia entered the batting cage Tuesday, the coaches -- Magadan, assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar and Major League coach Tim Doherty -- told him his weekend was a sign he’s ready to take off. No need for the “W” word.

“No, never talk about walks with anyone,” Magadan said. “We talk about getting a good pitch to hit and the walk is a byproduct. With ‘Tap,’ it’s constantly reminding him of that fact -- control his effort and get the pitch he’s looking for. When he overswings, he almost always expands the zone.”

The early struggles led manager Bud Black to drop Tapia from the leadoff spot. Tuesday was the third time his last five starts he has hit sixth. The other two, he hit second.

Owings update
Black said utility man Chris Owings (left thumb sprain) will need time beyond when he is eligible to return from the 10-day injured list on April 20, but the news of an MRI exam in Denver is positive.

“This is not an uncommon injury with hitters,” Black told MLB Network radio on Tuesday. “We went through it with DJ LeMahieu a couple times, and I think DJ had the same thing happen to him in New York [with the Yankees]. [Owings] will be back, but it’s a bummer, because he was off to a good start [8-for-15, three doubles, three triples].”

Reinforcements
The Rockies are bringing in veteran righty starter Ivan Nova, 34, who spent seven of his 11 big league seasons with the Yankees, and lefty reliever Chris Rusin, a member of the Rockies’ pitching staff from 2015-19 who spent last season with the Braves, on Minor League contracts. Both will join the alternate training site in Scottsdale, Ariz., with an eye toward beginning the Minor League season with Triple-A Albuquerque.

Nova was with the Phillies in Spring Training, but he did not earn a roster spot. Rusin was not in camp with any club, but he was brought in by the Rockies after pitching in front of scouts from several teams.