Rockies look for Paulsen to hit vs. lefties

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PHILADELPHIA — Optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on May 13, left-handed hitting first baseman Ben Paulsen focused on improving against left-handed pitching while in the Minors — a project designed to make him less disposable.

Paulsen, recalled Friday because first baseman Mark Reynolds is out with a broken left hamate bone, hit .276 with six home runs and 38 RBIs in 72 games at Albuquerque. During that time, Albuquerque manager Glenallen Hill gave him 98 plate appearances against lefties, and Paulsen hit .311 with a .377 on-base percentage.

Paulsen, 28, entered Friday with a .300 average against lefties over parts of three Major League seasons — but in just 50 at-bats.

“When I’ve been up here, there’s been situations where guys hit lefties better than I do,” Paulsen said. “I went down there, and that was the first time in a year and a half that I got to face lefties on a regular basis.

“I took it personally. That was the thing G-Hill talked to me about. ‘You should hit lefties as well as you do righties.'”

The Rockies will need for Paulsen to play the position regularly, since he is the only true first baseman on the roster. And with a lineup of at least five lefty hitters, they’ll need players who can handle all …

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