Troy Tulowitzki
Troy Tulowitzki (Denver Post file)

All-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki ambled into the Rockies' clubhouse Saturday morning about three hours before his teammates took the field and beat the Philadelphia Phillies 10-5 at Coors Field.

After breaking a rib diving for a groundball Thursday, all Tulowitzki can do is get treatment and root for his team for the next four to six weeks. Yet, for a player whose MVP-caliber season was turned upside down by injury, Tulo was surprisingly upbeat.

Here's part of what he had to say:

The emotional side of the injury: "Originally, I was very emotional when it happened. I worked so hard to get back and have a good year, and team-wise we were doing good. But now, a day later, things start to sink in and you realize that this is still a good team that we're putting out on the field. We will be just fine and I will be back."

Why the injury occurred:"I couldn't have done anything to prevent the injury. Sometimes, when you have a torn muscle, it's something you feel like you might have been able to control. But with this, I did it going all out, diving on a play. If (the rib) breaks, there is nothing you can do, it's just something you have to live with. It's tough to take, but it's easier, knowing there is nothing you could have done to prepare yourself differently."

Missing the All-Star Game: "You are definitely concerned with your team first, but there is no doubt you want to participate in the All-Star Game, and being the possible starter was something I looked forward to, and possibly participating in the Home Run Derby.

"Those are things you dream about as a kid, so for those to be taken away definitely hurts. But hopefully it's not the last time in my career that I have that opportunity."

His ability to deal with injuries: "At this stage of my career I'm definitely mentally stronger than I have ever been. I look back to my (quadriceps) injury (in 2008) and I was always questioning myself, wondering if I could have prepared better. 'Could I have done this, could I have done that?' But the way I went about my work this year, I know there is nothing I could have done to prevent this, so that makes this easier to take."

Did former teammate and friend Jason Giambi get in touch with you? "Yeah, but this was the first time when I've gotten injured that multiple guys from a lot of teams texted me, and that made me feel better, just because you know just how much the baseball family cares about a player. So the texts I got from different players, including Giambi, was encouraging."