This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Scottsdale, Ariz. • The Colorado Rockies lost one of their biggest offseason acquisitions when Ian Desmond was hit by a pitch Sunday, breaking his left hand.
Desmond was plunked by Cincinnati right-hander Rookie Davis with a 93 mph fastball in the fourth inning of the Rockies' 9-8 loss in spring training. The team says the preliminary diagnosis on Desmond is a left hand fracture, and he will see a specialist on Monday.
The Rockies signed Desmond to a $70 million, five-year contract over the winter to help balance out their lineup. Desmond broke into the majors as a shortstop and played in the outfield last year with Texas, but was transitioning to first base with Colorado.
The 31-year-old Desmond hit .285 with 22 homers and 86 RBIs this year in his lone season with the Rangers, earning his first All-Star trip since 2012. He also had 21 steals and scored a career-high 107 runs.
He broke into the majors in 2009 with Washington and is a .267 hitter with 132 homers and 518 RBIs in eight seasons.