LOS ANGELES — There was a time, not very long ago, when Carlos Gonzalez could assume he would be in the Rockies' starting lineup almost every night. Not anymore.
But the veteran right fielder predicts that's going to change. Why? Because he insists that he's going to get hot and force himself into the lineup on a regular basis. Plus, he says he needs regular playing time to help him get his groove back.
"I still think I'm an everyday player, no matter what," Gonzalez said Tuesday before the Rockies played the Dodgers. "Right now, it's a different situation, of course. But I still have it in my head that I am an everyday player and at some point they are going to need me. I just have to make sure that when I get my chances that I perform the way that I know I can. That's going to force the issue, and I'll be playing more."
Gonzalez came off the bench as a pinch hitter Monday night to deliver a game-winning infield hit in the eighth inning of Colorado's 2-1 win over Los Angeles. He was proud of his ability to be ready and deliver in the clutch for his team. But he won't be content to just be a role player.
"I can't settle for that situation," he said. "The more I push myself, the better it is for me and the better it is for the team. So l won't just give up. I'll always make sure I'm working hard and getting prepared. I know my opportunity is going to come. That's my mentality, no matter what."
Gonzalez, 32, started in right field Tuesday night, but those starts are becoming less frequent. Since he returned from a right hamstring injury that landed him on the disabled list and cost him nine games toward the end of April, Gonzalez had been in the starting lineup only nine times in the past 19 games heading into Tuesday. He didn't play at all in seven games during that stretch.
Lack of offensive production is the major reason Gonzalez, a three-time all-star, has become a fourth outfielder. He entered Tuesday's game batting .226 with a .656 OPS, with four homers and 16 RBIs. After testing the free-agent market over the winter and not finding a suitable partner, Gonzalez re-signed with Colorado, agreeing to a one-year, $8 million deal. He came back to be a starter.
Manager Bud Black understands Gonzalez's desire to play on a more regular basis, but Black said he also has to weigh the overall needs of the team.
"I still believe that our best team has Carlos Gonzalez in the starting lineup the great majority of the time," Black said. "Is he going to play against every left-handed pitcher? No, but there might be some times that he plays against lefties."
Black emphasized, however, that the Rockies need to see a better version of Gonzalez. They need to see a player similar to the one who exploded at the end of last season. From Aug. 1 to season's end, Gonzalez hit .325, with eight homers, a .407 on-base percentage, a .583 slugging percentage and 31 RBIs.
"The Carlos Gonzalez we saw at the end of last season? We need to see that again, and hopefully soon," Black said.
As for Gonzalez's notion that he needs regular playing time in order to start rolling, Black responded by saying: "I understand, totally, all players' desire to play all of the time. I get that. But from our perspective — the coaching staff and me, the manager — we are trying to win every single game. We are trying to put a lineup out there that we feel will give us a chance to win every single game."