DENVER - The Colorado Rockies placed Troy Tulowitzki on the disabled list on Friday, and the star shortstop could miss up to six weeks because of a broken rib. Team spokesman Nick Piburn said an MRI taken Thursday night revealed a right rib fracture. Tulowitzki was injured earlier in the day while diving for a ball in the eighth inning of a 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals. "Im not going to sugarcoat it. Its a big loss for us," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Friday before Colorado hosted the Philadelphia Phillies. "Its also an opportunity for our team to step up and do what I think weve done well all season and thats respond to adversity," Weiss said. "Were not going to make up that type of production regardless of who plays but theres no doubt in my mind we can still win games and be a factor in this race throughout the season." Tulowitzki told the Denver Post in a text that he was in a lot of pain and was upset after working so hard to come back from an injury-plagued 2012 season. He underwent season-ending groin surgery last June, and the Rockies stumbled through a franchise-worst 98-loss campaign. Colorado has been much more competitive this year, and a big reason is Tulowitzki, who ranks second in the NL with a .347 batting average, third in homers (16) and fourth in RBIs (51). "Its tough on him," Weiss said. "He worked really hard this off-season. He worked really hard every day to prepare himself to play. So theres a lot of frustration that goes along with that. "Its going to be tough for him in the short term. I told him just make sure to keep your mind right because were going to need you to lead us to a pennant, so get ready to do that." Tulowitzki was the most seriously injured among three Rockies starters who left Thursdays game. Carlos Gonzalez exited with a bruised left foot when he was struck while in the on-deck circle by a foul ball hit by teammate Jordan Pacheco in the first inning. Center fielder Dexter Fowler was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Ross Detwiler when he squared to bunt in the third. Weiss said Gonzalez told him he was healthy enough to play Friday. "Hes not going to be 100 per cent but he said he was good enough to play," Weiss said. "Putting his name in the lineup is huge for our club." Fowler wasnt in the starting lineup but could be available if needed. "Hand injuries are tough in this game, but hes definitely getting better," Weiss said. "Hopefully hell be available in some capacity." At least initially, Weiss said he expects to take a shortstop-by-committee approach in Tulowitzkis absence. Utility man Jonathan Herrera got the start Friday with Rutledge, who played shortstop for the Rockies when Tulowitzki was injured last season, getting the nod at second. D.J. LeMahieu, who can also play second and short, also figures prominently in the mix. "I think all three of them are capable of playing shortstop, but Ill have to figure that out on the fly here," Weiss said. "Maybe theres matchups, maybe you play the schedule, and maybe a guy takes off. Im not going to get locked into anything right now, but I think weve got three guys that can play the position." Outfielder Michael Cuddyer, who returned earlier this week after missing five games because of a rib cage strain, is moving up a notch in the batting order to hit cleanup in place of Tulowitzki. Cuddyer was batting .337 with 10 home runs going into the series opener against the Phillies. "For the most part, hes been a very productive player," Weiss said. "Hes a tough out, drives in tough runs. Hell be fine in the cleanup spot." Cheap MLB Jerseys . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. 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Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. CLEVELAND -- The guy who has spent the last three months possibly redefining what it means to be a closer remains in awe of the guy who took his job this spring.Sorry, Andrew Miller cant help it. Aroldis Chapmans stuff is so electric, its impossible to turn away.I love watching him pitch, Miller said. I dont change the channel when hes on TV.At the moment, his view is even better. The Cleveland Indians reliever can just glance over at the Chicago Cubs bullpen during the World Series to get his fix of Chapmans seemingly endless stream of triple-digit fastballs.Theres a perception that its easy for him because hes such an outlier, Miller said. But hes got a tremendous work ethic and in the way he goes about getting himself prepared.Miller would know. They were in the bullpen together for 2+ months with the New York Yankees this season. New York acquired Chapman last December, and the Cuban left-hander bumped Miller to a setup role when he returned from a domestic violence suspension in May. Miller had tied for second in the AL with 36 saves the year before.The experiment lasted until the trade deadline. Treading water in late July, the Yankees sent Chapman to the Cubs and Miller to the Indians in exchange for prospects while committing to a full rebuild.Three months later, the two players who began the season trying to help the Yankees win a 28th World Series title find themselves playing vital roles on teams that have combined for a small fraction of that number (four). Miller and the Indians can clinch the clubs first championship since 1948 on Tuesday night in Game 6, while Chapman and the Cubs are hoping for a chance to send it to a deciding Game 7 as Chicago tries to end a 108-year drought.On the surface, Miller and Chapman could be carbon copies of each other: hard-throwing lefties who overwhelm batters with power. The reality is a bit more complex thanks in large part to the unorthodox way Cleveland manager Terry Francona deploys Miller.In an era of clearly defined bullpen roles, Francona uses Miller as a 6-foot-7 piece of duct tape. Sometimes, the seventh inning needs to be patched up. Sometimes the eighth. Sometimes the sixth. Sometimes, all three. And Miller, a former first-round pick who spent the first half of his career trying to make it as a starter before the Boston Red Sox gave up and converted him into a reliever in 2012, has responded by putting together one of the most ddominant postseason runs ever.ddddddddddddNine times during the playoffs, Miller has jogged to the mound. The Indians are undefeated in those nine games. Its not a coincidence. Hes entered as early as the fifth and as late as the eighth, recording at least four outs in every appearance. His numbers -- 2-0 with a save and a 0.36 ERA, striking out 39 against just five walks -- look like a typo or something out of a video game where fatigue has been turned off.Theyre not.Andrews the model of just pitch whenever, Francona said. The kids unbelievable.Even Miller is having a hard time describing the run hes on, one fueled by a nearly unhittable slider that forces batters like Chicago first baseman Anthony Rizzo to play the baseball version of the lottery every time they swing.You just hope you pick the right lane, Rizzo said.Almost nobody has. Opponents are hitting .140 against Miller, who doesnt seem to tire whether hes throwing 17 pitches or 37. He attributes his elasticity to the gadgetry Clevelands training staff uses to keep him fresh and the survival instincts honed from the days when he was simply clinging to a spot on a major league roster.Its not something you offer, its something you have to have, he said. If youre not flexible, youre not going to have a spot in the big leagues.Besides, as Miller points out, theres very few closers who become closers right away and fall into that routine.Meaning closers like Chapman, who took over the job in Cincinnati in 2012 and proceeded to make four straight All-Star teams. The 28-year-old is a meticulous creature of habit, so used to being used in the ninth inning -- and almost exclusively the ninth inning -- that Cubs manager Joe Maddon checked with Chapman before Game 5 about entering earlier.The call ended up coming with one out in the seventh and Chicago up a run. Chapman responded by allowing just one hit over 2 2/3 innings to preserve a 3-2 victory and pick up his fourth save of the playoffs. The way Chapman went about his business, it was almost Miller-esque.That was impressive, Francona said. I mean, kind of like what Andrews done, he kind of did the same thing.Its a performance the Cubs would love to see a couple more times.I like our chances when hes in the game, Cubs catcher David Ross said. Hes a presence. ' ' '