August 15, 2008 4:05 PM

Much improved; Aug. 15

Catcher Yorvit Torrealba ran before the game and his left knee felt good. Trainer Keith Dugger said Torrealba, who was scratched from Thursday's game and later diagnosed with a small miniscus tear, was "significantly better."

Manager Clint Hurdle said he planned to start Torrealba on Saturday. Hurdle also named Aaron Cook to start Sunday, pushing Ubaldo Jimenez back to Tuesday and Jeff Francis to Wednesday at Los Angeles. Hurdle said the plan was to get Cook back on the mound as soon as he was over the back stiffness that caused him to be scratched from a start Thursday at Coors Field against Arizona.

Seth Smith will make his first start in center field, a position he played for one inning _ the eighth _ July 31 at Florida and where he has been taking fly balls regularly.

The lineups

Rockies

2B Barmes
CF Smith (L)
LF Holliday
RF Hawpe (L)
1B Atkins
3B Stewart (L)
C Iannetta
SS Tulowitzki
LHP De La Rosa

Nationals

2B Bonifacio (S)
SS Belliard
3B Zimmerman
CF Milledge
RF Kearns
C Flores
1B Boone
LF Harris (L)
RHP Redding

Posted by Jack Etkin at 4:05 PM | Comments (0)