Banged-up Arenado vows to keep plugging | MLB.com
Thomas Harding has the scoop on Nolan Arenado’s growing list of bruises, aches, and pains that may or may not correlate with the All-Star third baseman’s recent stretch of tough baseball. As Harding points out, Nolan was slashing .330/.381/.602 through June 11th with 17 home runs and a 132 wRC+. The next day, Cole Hamels beaned Arenado with a pitch, and since then he has hit just .254/.351/.439 with five home runs and a 88 wRC+.
There have been many other instances of Nolan getting dinged up in some way, shape, or form since then, and the pain is piling up. Every off day feels like a blessing in disguise for some of these guys in a marathon season, but Nolan is adamant to Harding that his sore body won’t stop him from giving his all to this team down the stretch.
That could all change, of course, once the Rockies are officially out of contention. But for now, it’s a valiant showing from the face of the franchise.
Rockies’ David Dahl makes strides, but he’s still a work in progress | Denver Post ($)
David Dahl is a first-time All-Star who will often hit in the three-hole or right behind Nolan Arenado to offer him protection in the lineup. He’s raking to the tune of a .300/.351/.514 slash line so far this year, and has a 107 wRC+ with 1.5 fWAR. He’s very good at baseball, in other words, but as Kyle Newman reports, he still considers himself a “work in progress.”
In his talks with Newman, Dahl clearly comes off as a bit overly self-critical, but that is often the case with players who strive to be the cream of the crop. David can at least recognize he’s done well driving in runs for his team—batting .329 with six home runs and 46 RBI with runners in scoring position—but admits he has too many wasted at-bats still (for example, his 26.9 K% can certainly be improved upon).
It’s clear, though, Dahl has the drive and talent to continue getting better for this Rockies team in a tumultuous phase. He should be able to continue helping Nolan, Trevor, and Chuck carry the offensive load down the stretch and into 2020.
Amid rocky July, could Colorado deal Blackmon? | MLB.com
This article, written by Jon Morosi, is one that you already kind of know is pure speculation meant to drive traffic and clicks before you even open it. Then you open it, and sigh and shake your head, mumbling about how you knew it the whole time. There is really no story here, but according to Morosi’s sources, the Rockies are willing to listen to calls from other teams inquiring about Blackmon despite the incredibly slim chances they move him.
Well of course they’ll listen, but the bigger point is that Blackmon isn’t going anywhere. Morosi cites a very bad month of July for the Rockies that has nearly ruined their season, as though the two more years he’s under contract (with player options following that) mean nothing. I know we’re tender right now, but the Rockies are far from a rebuild. Chuck can definitely continue to be an asset to this team in a contention window that is still open.
Yonder Alonso joins Rockies; Oh designated | MLB.com
Look over Yonder, Alonso has joined the Rockies. Okay, I got it out of my system. The Rockies made a few moves prior to yesterday’s game against the Nationals, which included designating Seunghwan Oh for assignment and optioning Yency Almonte to Triple-A in order to make room for the veteran Alonso to join the roster.
Alonso was white-hot for Albuquerque before his promotion, slashing .419/.500/.774 in 31 at-bats. With Mark Reynolds in the midst of a terrible season, the writing was on the wall, and Yonder is now the newest power bat off the bench for the Rockies. In his pinch-hitting debut last night, Yonder doubled home Ian Desmond in the ninth inning for the team’s only run of the game. Let’s hope the run production keeps on coming.
Also of note from this Thomas Harding article is news the Rockies, according to pitching coach Steve Foster, are stretching out Chris Rusin to take on a starter’s role again. Steve says the team is “looking for depth, anywhere we can find it,” which sounds like a pretty desperate stance. But I suppose that just about sums it up for the Rockies right now.
Colorado Rockies: Yonder Alonso holds possibilities of jackpot or bust | Rox Pile
Kevin Henry has some thoughts on the Yonder Alonso situation, saying the move is an “attempt to fortify a Colorado Rockies team that still believes it can reach its third consecutive postseason.” That may be true, but it also may just be a team who realized Mark Reynolds had nothing left to offer and took a chance on another power-hitting veteran who was raking in Triple-A. The Rockies certainly appear to be searching for a spark, and there’s almost no harm to be done in seeing what Alonso has left in the tank.
On the farm
A couple of teenagers stood out in the Rockies minor league system yesterday. Eddy Diaz had a three-hit game for the rookie level Rockies—one of many multi-hit games this year—and raised his slash line to .344/.380/.459. Bladimir Restituyo went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and a stolen base for Boise, and is slashing .286/.287/.408. Yes, Restituyo has an oddly impressive 33-to-1 K/BB ratio so far, which needs some work.
Elsewhere, Josh Fuentes went yard for Albuquerque again, and is quickly re-emerging as a potential call-up candidate if the Rockies find themselves in a tight squeeze. Josh is on a nine-game hit streak, which includes a seven-game RBI streak, five bombs in his last seven games, and has an overall slash line of .272/.322/.504 for the ‘Topes this season.
Triple-A: Salt Lake Bees 17, Albuquerque Isotopes 6
Double-A Game 1: Portland Sea Dogs 7, Hartford Yard Goats 2
Double-A Game 2: Portland Sea Dogs 1, Hartford Yard Goats 0
High-A: Lancaster JetHawks 10, Lake Elsinore Storm 5
Low-A: Asheville Tourists at Greensboro Grasshoppers—PPD
Short Season-A: Boise Hawks 3, Eugene Emeralds 0
Rookie: Ogden Raptors 11, Grand Junction Rockies 4