Murphy avoids surgery as finger healing well

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Rockies got slightly unexpected news before Friday's game with first baseman Daniel Murphy now not planning to have surgery on his broken index finger.

Having survived the surgery scare and having been cleared both by an X-ray and an MRI, Murphy is in the process of being fitted with a new splint.

"He's healing and is doing better," manager Bud Black said. "Surgery was a possibility within the first week of the injury, but now it seems he's past that."

Murphy has already begun taking some light swings in the cage according to Black, and he's taking grounders and is throwing. But mostly the plan is to keep the hand with limited mobility for the time being.

As to the question about when he might be able to play again, the Rockies don't have a timetable quite yet.

• Right-hander Antonio Senzatela joined the club in the Bay Area to be checked out after having made a couple of short starts at Triple-A Albuquerque, including a two-inning outing Thursday. He was knocked out of the running for a spot in the rotation by a toe injury this spring, but Black says he's past the infection now.

And while the Rockies aren't ready to put him on the roster, there's an outside possibility that he could start at home vs. San Diego in a series that starts Monday.

"He's doing great," Black said. "He was in Reno, and we wanted to check on him."

Asked about having him start, Black said, "We're going to talk about it."

Senzatela said the infection was caused by a blister from a new pair of shoes. He wound up spending four days in the hospital and didn't throw for about two weeks.

• Black says he is looking forward to Saturday's showdown between Kyle Freeland of the Rockies and the Giants' Madison Bumgarner, two quality lefties, although Freeland has struggled his last two times out including giving the Braves seven runs in five innings at home his last time out.

"It's a good matchup," Black said. "Kyle's fastball was a little too elevated [against the Braves]. His fastball command to right-handers wasn't what we normally see. He has a great knack of self-correcting."

• Tony Wolters was back in the lineup behind the plate for the Rockies on Friday night against the left-handed Drew Pomeranz, but Black said his plan was to have Chris Iannetta catch both Saturday and Sunday against two other lefties, Bumgarner and Derek Holland.