Jordan Pacheco is going to get more playing time at third base and maybe a chance to solidify a position that has been an offensive black hole for the Colorado Rockies. Chris Nelson, who has made 20 starts at third base, was placed on the 15-day disabled list with left wrist inflammation, retroactive to Tuesday. Jonathan Herrera has made nine starts at third base but is viewed as more of a utility type — he also has made seven starts at second base. Pacheco made his seventh start at third base Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI as the Rockies beat the Diamondbacks 6-1. Pacheco began the year on the Rockies’ bench but was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs on April 15 so he could play third base regularly and become more instinctive at the position. He was recalled May 5 and, after starting May 7-8, didn’t start again until Tuesday at San Francisco. The Rockies could use a lift at third base. They entered Wednesday with their third basemen hitting .222, which is 12th in the National League, with one homer (tied for 14th) and 10 RBI (tied for 14th). Rockies third basemen had a .298 on-base percentage (10th), a .333 slugging percentage (14th) and a .631 OPS (13th). Pacheco began his career as a second baseman in 2007 and was moved to catcher after spring training 2008. The Rockies thought his leadership skills would play well at catcher and didn’t think he profiled power-wise to play third base. He began playing the position in late August at Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he had spent most of the season catching. The Rockies called him up in September. Herrera figures to get some time at third base, too. But Pacheco has started the past two games at the position and has hit the ball well (3-for-7). He has a chance to earn the bulk of the playing time. He doesn’t figure to hit for a lot of power, but Pacheco has shown he can make steady contact and be a gap-to-gap hitter who rarely strikes out. If Pacheco can be average at third base, he should give the Rockies some much-needed offense at the position.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — It was a fleeting moment in a spring training game, forgotten the moment it was over, but for Rockies manager Jim Tracy, it was huge. In the first inning of Monday’s Rockies-Diamondbacks game, Carlos Gonzalez morphed from slugger into professional hitter. With no outs, two strikes against him and the Diamondbacks’ infield playing deep, Gonzalez slapped a groundball to second, easily scoring Eric Young from third base.

“Carlos did some great situational hitting,” Tracy said. “To muffle down and recognize that the infield was playing back, then hit that hard grounder and score the run, that was great to see. That was an area we failed in last year.”

The Rockies will need that type of approach

up and down their lineup to improve offensively over their dreadful 2011 performance, when they routinely failed to bring home runners from third with less than two outs, and hit just .245 with runners in scoring position, 11th in the National League.

This season, with a young pitching staff expected to struggle, the offense must display a more sound approach at the plate to give the Rockies a shot in the NL West.

That’s partially why the Rockies brought in the gray-hair brigade featuring outfielder Michael Cuddyer, second baseman Marco Scutaro and third baseman Casey Blake. All are veterans with reputations for being smart situational hitters. All have been asked to pass on their knowledge to the kids on the club.

“We

acquired guys that know how to put together a quality at-bat,” said Cuddyer, a former Twins outfielder. “A veteran understands the situation at all times. They understand that with a man on third and less than two outs, you don’t have to get a base hit to score a run. As a young player, it’s hard to understand that you can just hit a little groundball and still score the run. That’s a win right there.”

Cuddyer, who hit .284 for Minnesota last season, said he has told younger hitters to work

on understanding a pitcher’s thought process.

“You have to understand what the pitcher is trying to do to you in certain situations. That’s half the battle,” Cuddyer said. “If you are trying to hit a ball to the outfield and drive in a run, but he’s throwing power sinkers in the dirt, why are you still trying to hit it high and deep? So you have to adjust to him, or you have to wait for a mistake and don’t miss on that mistake.”

Jamie Moyer, the 49-year-old lefty trying to prolong his career, is convinced that smart, unselfish at-bats breed winning baseball.

“On the winning teams I have played on, guys embrace those at-bats,” Moyer said. “It becomes contagious.”

Rockies hitting coach Carney Lansford is convinced

that quality at-bats are the direct result of how well a hitter works on situational hitting before a game. He has no patience for hitters who put on a pre-game show during BP.

“It’s not just a home run derby,” he said. “Anybody can get in the cage and do that. Yeah, the fans go ‘ooh’ and ‘ah,’ but then the game comes and the guys goes 0-for-4 because he’s pulling off the ball.”

Todd Helton, a .323 career hitter, puts in the type of work Lansford wants. During a recent practice, Helton drove five pitches to right field. Satisfied, he switched up, trying to take the ball the other way. He fouled off two pitches, chastising himself for his failure before finding his stroke and smoking two balls down the third-base

line.

“When I think ‘professional hitter,’ I think of Todd,” Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “He works the count, he fouls off a pitcher’s best pitches, he has a plan. Every at-bat, whether he gets a hit or not, he never looks overmatched and he’ll wear the pitcher down to get a walk.”

Tulowitzki, an aggressive hitter, is never going to be as patient as Helton, but he’s working to become a more well-rounded hitter.

“The next step for me is hitting in situations with two outs and a man on second,” Tulowitzki said. “I want to drive in that runner so bad that I tend to open up my strike zone. Sometimes I would rather get an out and get my swings in rather than take a walk. That’s something I have to grow up about and

get better at. Becoming a professional hitter is a long process.”

Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1720 or psaunders@denverpost.com