Parra returns from DL, back in Rockies lineup after missing a month

The Colorado Rockies reinstated outfielder Gerardo Parra on Friday from the 10-day disabled list after being sidelined for a month with a quad strain.

Parra, who was placed on the 10-day DL on June 7, immediately returned to the lineup on Friday evening, batting fifth and playing left field as the Rockies battle with the Chicago White Sox at Coors Field.

#Rockies reinstate OF Gerardo Parra from the 10-day disabled list (right quad strain) and option OF Mike Tauchman to Triple-A Albuquerque.

— Rockies PR (@RockiesPR) July 7, 2017

Colorado skipper Bud Black, Denver Post beat reporter Nick Groke reports, said he hopes Parra can give the struggling Rockies lineup “a lift.”

“When he’s right, he can do a lot of things: hit the ball over the fence, find a gap, spray the ball all over the field, he likes hitting with guys on base, he has some energy and personality.”

Parra returns to a different Rockies clubhouse than he left it a month ago.

On June 6, the day the outfielder hit the disabled list, Colorado led the National League West by two games — trailing just the Washington Nationals in the entire NL — at 37-23.

A month later, the Rockies are securely in third place in the NL West, 8 ½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, and trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by three games for the top wild card slot.

In the just the last two weeks, Colorado is 3-9 with a .236 batting average, a .613 OPS, and 39 runs scored.

Before his injury, Parra had been on a bit of a tear, hitting .571 with an OPS of 1.290 in the five games he played in June.

To make room for Parra on the Rockies’ roster, the club optioned outfielder Mike Tauchman to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.