The Colorado Rockies announced a series of roster moves headlined by the return of Kris Bryant to the Injured List.
The Colorado Rockies have announced another set of roster moves prior the start of tonight’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
The highlight of the roster transactions is the return of outfielder and first baseman Kris Bryant to the Injured List with a back strain. This will be Bryant’s third trip to the IL this season and the second for a back strain. Bryant revealed to the Denver Post in May that he was experiencing severe back issues.
“I guess it’s hard to speak on because I’m not a doctor, but the discs in my back are pretty much dried up, so there’s a couple of discs that … they don’t function like they did 10 years ago,” Bryant said. “My facet joints are a little — not a little — they are pretty severely arthritic, and (there are) a lot of bone spurs and stuff like that. It’s just part of getting older. That’s the way the doctor explained it to me. So I just have to find a way to manage it as best I can.”
Bryant also spent extended time on the injured list with a rib contusion and oblique strain he sustained after getting tangled in the netting during a road game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
As a corresponding roster move, the Rockies are calling up rookie outfielder Jordan Beck (no. 6 PuRP) from Triple-A Albuquerque. Beck is fully recovered from a broken hand suffered in May and was activated from the IL on August 3rd.
Since returning to the Albuquerque Isotopes as part of his rehab assignment, Beck is hitting .339/.397/.500 over 14 games with a double and three home runs. Beck became a regular starter in the outfield when Nolan Jones was injured earlier in the season, playing 23 games with the big league squad—largely as a left fielder. During that time, Beck hit .190/.198/.316 with four doubles, two home runs, and two stolen bases.
The Rockies are also calling up 23-year-old right-handed pitcher and no. 20 organizational prospect per MLB Pipeline Bradley Blalock.
Blalock—originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox—was obtained along with prospect pitcher Yujanyer Herrera from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Nick Mears prior to this year’s trade deadline.
Blalock made his MLB debut earlier this year with the Brewers, pitching a scoreless inning out of the bullpen on June 20th. Since arriving with the Rockies he has made two starts with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats, giving up nine runs (eight earned) over 11 2⁄3 innings. Blalock will be called upon tonight to make his first career big league start. He will wear no. 64 on his uniform.
In a corresponding roster move, the Rockies have optioned left-handed pitcher Josh Rogers to Triple-A Albuquerque. Rogers had been called up on August 11th and pitched 1 2⁄3 innings of relief against the Atlanta Braves.