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Rosario in lineup as DH after hamstring cramp

BALTIMORE -- After suffering a right hamstring cramp on Tuesday and sitting out Wednesday afternoon, Wilin Rosario returned to the Rockies' lineup on Friday night as designated hitter, while veteran Yorvit Torrealba started at catcher.

Rosario returned in style, hitting the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning of a 6-3 win over the Orioles. He also doubled and scored in the fifth.

Not even Rosario -- one of the Majors' most productive offensive catchers at .281, 16 home runs and 61 RBIs, entering Friday -- is certain how healthy his hamstring is. That'll be determined when he has to sprint out of the batter's box. After experiencing the cramping during his two-run single in Tuesday night's 7-5 loss to the Padres, Rosario was reduced to running at half-to-three-quarters speed for the rest of the game. Torrealba played Wednesday, and keyed the 5-2 victory by turning an unassisted double play on an unusual rundown.

"My hamstring is good, but I don't know," Rosario said. "We have to wait for that moment and let's see. If I say I can, what if I can't do it. Or if I say I can't do it, then you see me running hard. Then we'll see after the game how I feel."

Rosario said the hamstring is a bigger issue offensively than defensively, even though he is squatting behind the plate. Running delivers more stress to the muscle, he said.

Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Hardball in the Rockies, and follow him on Twitter @harding_at_mlb.
Read More: Colorado Rockies, Wilin Rosario