Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Entering the 2012 season, MLB experts across the game were claiming Troy Tulowitzki to be the best player in the entire league. After a campaign in which Tulowitzki played in just 47 games, the talk has shifted to whether or not he remains an impact player after breaking his left wrist.
The Colorado Rockies were on top of the world a season ago with the hopes that Carlos Gonzalez and Tulowitzki would provide the offensive firepower that would take them to another World Series. If in fact Tulowitzki can come back with little to no ill effect, I believe that hope should still remain within the Rockies fan base. However, being out of action since May 30th of 2012, Tulowitzski will have to prove he can still swing the bat given the disheartening history of wrist injuries.
Chicago Cubs fans all remember when Derrek Lee injured his wrist a year after leading the league in hits, doubles, batting average, slugging percentage and total bases in 2005. Unfortunately, Lee did not respond well as he was half the player he was prior to the surgery, and would not lead the league in any category ever again.
While I’m not forecasting doom for the 28-year old Gold Glover, I think it’s naive to think Tulowitzki will come back to game full-throttle in 2013. Patience will be a virtue for Rockies fans as they must not get discouraged if it takes a few weeks for Tulo to shake off the rust. In the mean time, role players like Michael Cuddyer and Dexter Fowler will need to pick up the slack once again.
