The Rockies have called infielder Ryan McMahon up to the big club. He’ll replace the struggling Pat Valaika on the roster.
With DJ LeMahieu still on the shelf, and with the backup options leaving a lot to be desired, the Rockies are calling on one of their top prospects. Purple Row’s Samantha Bradfield suggested last week that McMahon could be a viable option at second base, and it looks like the Rockies are going to give it a shot, at least for one game.
We shouldn’t read too much into this move, but a few different things could be going on here. It could mean that LeMahieu is going to be out a little longer than initially expected. Daniel Castro and Valaika could serve as short-term stopgaps and reasons not to jerk McMahon between Albuquerque and Denver. But neither of them is going to help the team stay competitive throughout the summer if DJ is out for a while. McMahon, on the other hand, is more capable of being that type of contributor. He struggled in limited time earlier this season, but he’d probably benefit from consistent major league at bats (let’s hope that’s what’s going on here).
Or, the Rockies may just be calling him up because he’s a high ceiling hitter that can help a struggling offense. They prepared him to play second base in the minors, too. Either way, it’ll be fun to see him in the lineup and at the keystone tonight.