LOS ANGELES -- A day off isn¡¯t a magical fix for a scuffling ballplayer, but an opportunity to reset can nonetheless prove hugely valuable. Just ask Michael Toglia.
Through his first 16 games of 2025, Toglia went homerless as he struggled to get much going offensively. It got to the point where manager Bud Black decided to take Toglia out of the lineup for a day, sitting him for Tuesday¡¯s middle game at Dodger Stadium.
"It was nice to just kind of take a breather and watch the game from a different angle and just cheer on my teammates,¡± said Toglia. ¡°And I think it might have helped me get into a different mindset and just refocus.¡±
Back in there on Wednesday, one big swing from Toglia transformed what had the makings of a blowout into a ballgame again, as his third-inning grand slam cut significantly into the deficit created by the Dodgers¡¯ seven-run bottom of the first off starter Germ¨¢n M¨¢rquez.
With one out and the bases loaded, Toglia connected on a 1-2 curveball from Bobby Miller that caught too much of the plate, sending it a Statcast-projected 418 feet to center field. It was the second grand slam of Toglia¡¯s career, the first coming on June 15 of last year against the Pirates.
"[The day off] got him a little bit, maybe, hopefully, more relaxed tonight, instead of continuing to press day after day, game after game,¡± Black said of Toglia. ¡°Because he's played a lot. He's played every inning of every game this year. He played every inning of every game [last year] when he came back up. And that takes a toll. But he's built for that. He wants to do it. He has a strong desire to play. He was bothered that he didn't play yesterday. But you want that from players.¡±
The comeback attempt came up short as Colorado fell, 8-7, to close out a sweep and an 0-6 road trip, dropping them to 3-15 on the season. But if the Rockies are to reverse their fortunes, a turnaround from Toglia could well be a key factor.
Toglia entered Wednesday slashing .167/.206/.217, with just three of his 10 hits going for extra bases, all doubles. His strikeout issues from last year have worsened, and that was also on display Wednesday, as he struck out in his other three at-bats, increasing his MLB-worst K total to 32. And while all players endure rough stretches, those can be magnified when they come at the start of a season.
"It's been frustrating,¡± said Toglia. ¡°But it's an incredibly long season, and it's a game of runs in both directions, unfortunately. So you just have to ride out when it's not going so well and just trust the process and know it's going to get better. Those times, they're fun for a reason, because they're not always there.¡±
Even if the bat is a work in progress, Toglia showed that he can always contribute with his glove, making an impressive grab up the first-base line and a throw from the seat of his pants to take a base hit away from Shohei Ohtani.
"I think he's a Gold Glove first baseman in the making,¡± said Black. ¡°... [The] managers and coaches who vote on this, I think they realize Mike's a good defender. But there's a little component to being a two-way player, too, that adds to the glove.¡±
Offense has been a teamwide problem for the Rockies, as their 52 runs scored rank fewest in the Majors. Prior to the two homers they hit on Wednesday, they had 10 as a team, just four of which were hit away from Coors Field. However, they flashed some promising signs in the finale at Chavez Ravine.
Following Toglia¡¯s slam was Mickey Moniak with a solo homer, which at the time made it a one-run game. It also made Moniak the fifth former first-round Draft pick to homer on Wednesday, something that had happened just five times previously. Additionally, the Rockies got contributions from one of their most consistent hitters, with Kyle Farmer driving in a pair of runs.
All told, the game ended up being one of the 2025 Rockies¡¯ hardest-fought contests thus far.
"No problem there with the fight in this group, the resolve,¡± said Black. ¡°Two of these games, we had the go-ahead run at the plate late in the game, when it looked to be dire. These guys won't quit. There's a lot of fight in these guys.¡±