Arenado undergoes tests on shoulder

DENVER -- The Rockies were “awaiting some news” from tests on the ailing left shoulder of star Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado and expect to have information on Monday, Rockies manager Bud Black said Sunday.

Black did not use Arenado in Sunday afternoon’s 6-3 victory over the Dodgers at Coors Feld in the Rockies’ final home game.

The Rockies face the prospect of being without Arenado for the final eight games of the season -- four at San Francisco starting Monday, and four in three days at Arizona starting Friday. At 23-29, the Rockies need a strong week and help from other teams to make the postseason, after squandering an 11-3 start to the season.

Arenado revealed last Sunday that he has been playing through an injury to the A/C joint in his left shoulder for much of the season. While the injury isn’t to his throwing arm, it is the lead arm in his swing. The pain is inhibiting his ability to “lift” the ball with his swing. It shows in his numbers.

One of the biggest home run and RBI producers in the sport, Arenado is a subpar .253 with eight home runs and 26 RBIs in 48 games. He last homered on Sept. 8 at San Diego, and his last one before that was Aug. 20. He hasn’t had an extra-base hit since he pulled a double to left field at San Diego on Sept. 9.

Arenado continued to hit third and fourth in the order through his pain, because the struggling Rockies’ options are few. On Sunday, they went to usual No. 2 hitter Trevor Story, who has a 12-game hitting streak, hoping to get runners on base in front of him.

Charlie Blackmon, sometimes a cleanup hitter, went 6-for-30 as the Rockies went 3-6 during their final homestand of 2020. Veteran Matt Kemp, often a designated hitter, did not play Sunday, but during the homestand he went 1-for-19 with 10 strikeouts. The hit was a homer, but he is on an 0-for-14 skid.