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Rockies place Holliday on DL day after adding Hawpe, Barmes

DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies placed left fielder Matt Holliday on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, the latest injury to hit the defending National League champions.

Holliday strained his hamstring running out a groundout to third in the ninth inning of the Rockies' 9-2 loss to the New York Mets on Saturday.

Outfielder Cory Sullivan was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take his place.

The Rockies had already put Clint Barmes and Brad Hawpe on the disabled list Saturday, after Barmes sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee Friday night. Hawpe has been bothered by a sore right hamstring.

To make matters worse, third baseman Garrett Atkins was out of the lineup for the second straight day Sunday with a stiff neck, as was center fielder Willy Taveras.

Taveras bruised his knee running into the outfield wall during Friday night's game and could be available to pinch hit. Atkins' neck has been bothering him for a while and had planned on taking muscle relaxants on Saturday, but they didn't help.

"[Head trainer] Keith [Dugger] told me he's not in a good place this morning," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said of Atkins. "I can't say he's limited or if he's very limited."

The injuries give the Rockies a much different team than the one they had on Opening Day. Five of their top six players are on the DL, including shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who is out until the All-Star break with a torn left quadriceps.

Hurdle said he is not using injury as an excuse for Colorado's 19-30 record.

"We're not backing off any concept of winning or what we need to do," he said. "We weren't blowing up the ball with all these guys in the lineup, truth be told. We'll find a way to see what kind of identity our offense can take and give these guys an opportunity and freedom to get some at-bats.