DENVER -- As hamstrings injuries go, the one that kept Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman out of the four games leading into Tuesday night was more galling than painful.
“It was kind of frustrating,” Goodman said. “Because hitting and catching, it didn’t really bother me at all. I could do the baseball activities. I just couldn’t quite get to a competitive speed running.”
Who needs to run when you can jog?
Goodman, seemingly on his way to representing the Rockies in Atlanta at the 2025 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, celebrated his return with two home runs. It was yet another maddening Rockies result, a 6-5 loss to the Astros at Coors Field.
“Obviously, I wouldn’t go full-go around the bases, but I felt pretty good today,” said Goodman, who improved his team-high homer total to 16 and is batting .290 with an .869 OPS and 50 RBIs. “Maybe day by day I’ll push it a little more and see how it feels. But I felt good getting in the box. I felt relaxed, pretty fresh.”
Both homers came on first pitches. The first was off Astros starter Colton Gordon in the first inning. The second came off Astros closer Josh Hader with one out in the ninth. With two down, Jordan Beck singled to complete a 5-for-5 night -- a career high in hits -- before Brenton Doyle struck out to end the game.
“It was good to have Goody back -- two homers, the hamstring looked fine,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.
Goodman led the National League in slugging in June at .734. Goodman’s .342 batting average was fourth -- with teammate Tyler Freeman (who had an RBI double Tuesday) leading the league at .373.
At 19-66, the Rockies are tied with the 1907 St. Louis Cardinals and 1916 Philadelphia Athletics for second-worst through 85 games in the Modern Era (one game better than the 1904 Washington Senators). The Rockies are 8-33 at home, tied with the 2003 Detroit Tigers for worst through 41 games in modern history.
More recently, key mistakes and misfortunes have cost the Rockies. Tuesday’s loss featured one ill-fated play on the mound and two on the bases:
• Rookie starter Chase Dollander felt good but pitched himself into a corner, then gave up a third-inning grand slam to Victor Caratini for a 6-1 disadvantage and left after 2 2/3 innings.
“It was a terrible pitch and a terrible location,” said Dollander, who said he felt in control despite the base traffic.
• Doyle had a one-out RBI single in the third and was at first base when Kyle Farmer’s drive bounced off the center-field wall and into the glove of center fielder Jake Meyers. Doyle thought the ball was caught on the fly and dashed back to first base. He was forced out at second and the Rockies didn’t score again in the frame.
“I thought Meyers did a fantastic job of selling that out there in center field,” Schaeffer said.
• In the seventh, Beck was thrown out running to third when he got what Schaeffer called “a bad read” on Thairo Estrada’s bouncer that pitcher Bryan King fielded.
For Goodman, 25 and in his first full season as a regular catcher in the Majors, the only response is to keep his outlook as fresh as his hamstring felt on Tuesday.
“It’s been kind of frustrating sometimes, for sure, but you look at the past month and the games we’ve been a part of and the competition we’ve played,” Goodman said. “That Houston team is leading the American League, or right up there at the top. Playing against them and playing a good ballgame against them is a positive.”