DENVER _ The Marlins closed out a winning road trip on Sunday.
But they lost another starting pitcher in the process when Caleb Smith injured his left shoulder in the Marlins' 8-5 win over the Colorado Rockies, further depleting a rotation that was reeling from an injury to one of its other starters and a pending suspension to another.
Derek Dietrich's big day at the plate and the conclusion of the Marlins' 5-4 road trip was tempered by the injury to Smith, a rookie who has been the team's best starter this season.
Dietrich went 4-for-5, drove in two runs, and lacked only a triple from becoming the first Marlin to hit for the cycle. The Marlins are the only team in the majors that have never had a player accomplish the feat.
Dietrich doubled in the first inning, homered in the second and singled in the third. But he batted only twice more, striking out in the fifth and collecting another single in the seventh. Dietrich is hitting .391 for the month of June.
The Marlins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and, after the Rockies came back to tie it in the third, took the lead for good in the fourth on JT Riddle's RBI double and Cameron Maybin's ground ball out.
Kyle Barraclough worked the ninth for his seventh save. Barraclough extended his streak of not allowing a hit to 112/3 innings.
The Marlins have lost two starting pitchers to shoulder injuries within the past three days while another, Dan Straily, is awaiting a verdict on his appeal of a five-game league suspension.
Jose Urena was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Friday with a right shoulder impingement. Manager Don Mattingly said that his spot would be taken by Elieser Hernandez.
Straily is still scheduled to start Monday in Miami but could lose a future turn in the rotation once the league renders a final decision on his suspension.
While the Marlins listed Smith as "day to day," his body language Sunday did not signal a short-term injury absence. Smith hopped on the follow-through of his 31st pitch. And he held his left arm stiffly to his side as he walked back to the dugout after being taken out.
Assuming Smith is placed on the DL, the Marlins will almost certainly call up a starter from the minors to fill his rotation spot. The Marlins, however, would prefer for top pitching prospect Sandy Alcantara to continue his development at Triple-A New Orleans, at least for the near future.
Smith, a rookie the Marlins acquired along with Garrett Cooper from the Yankees over the winter in exchange for international draft pool money, has been a pleasant addition for them. He leads all Marlins starters with five wins and 4.19 ERA.
