Rockies' Nolan Jones: Nearing new rehab assignment
Rotowire
Jones (back/knee) took batting practice and completed light outfield drills prior to Monday's game, MLB.com reports.
This was significant progress for Jones, marking the first time he swung a bat since his first rehab assignment was halted when he experienced knee inflammation. The next step will be running the bases, but that could be the final benchmark before he embarks on a second rehab stint in the minors.
Jones (back/knee) has yet to resume full baseball activities, MLB.com reports.
Manager Bud Black shared the update Friday, saying Jones had resumed running and playing catch, but swinging a bat was still "a handful of days away." That leaves Jones' timeline to return murky, though it seems unlikely he'll be activated before June.
Jones (back) has had his rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque paused because of right knee soreness stemming from a slide, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
A MRI came back clean for Jones, who hasn't played for Albuquerque since Friday. The outfielder was placed on the 10-day injured list April 30 with a lower-back strain and had just started his rehab assignment Wednesday. It seemed like the 26-year-old was nearing a return and was trending toward being activated after Albuquerque's game Sunday, but this latest development scuttled that timeline.
Jones (back) is expected to be recalled from his rehab assignment following Sunday's game with Triple-A Albuquerque, MLB.com reports.
Jones has appeared in three games with Albuquerque, starting twice in left field and once at designated hitter. He's lined up for a fourth appearance Sunday and will rejoin the big-league club as it travels to Oakland. Assuming all goes according to plan, it appears that Jones will be activated for the first game of the series Tuesday.
Jones (back) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and an RBI.
Jones received three plate appearances and played five innings in left field in his first game action since he landed on the 10-day injured list in late April with a low-back strain. He shouldn't need too many rehab games before being activated since he hasn't been sidelined for an extended period, but the Rockies haven't provided a firm target date for his return to the big club. The 26-year-old has slashed a disappointing .170/.243/.277 with one home run and two stolen bases over 103 plate appearances this season.
