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Kris Bryant Discusses “Extremely Frustrating” Back Injuries

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Kris Bryant’s star-crossed Rockies tenure added another chapter earlier this week when the former NL MVP was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier this week due to lumbar degenerative disc disease.  Recurring back issues are just one variety of the of several injuries that have limited Bryant to 170 games over his three-plus seasons with Colorado, yet it appears to be the most persistent obstacle keeping Bryant from getting onto the field for any sustained length of time.

Bryant shared some details about his situation with reporters (including MLB.com’s Thomas Harding) on Sunday, including some of the side effects of his current back problem.  After undergoing an exercise program yesterday, Bryant said “I woke up not feeling great,” and described himself as being “in constant pain and nauseous, where I can’t eat, which was the situation today.”  The nature of the back injury can come and go, as Bryant described a game situation where he was feeling fine for most of the contest, but by his final at-bat could barely swing.

The “extremely frustrating” degenerative disc disease has left Bryant at least thinking about a surgery, though “the doctors aren’t there yet” in recommending it.  Such a procedure would almost surely end Bryant’s 2025 season and put him onto another lengthy cycle of rehabilitation and workouts with an eye towards Opening Day 2026, maybe as a best-case scenario.

For now, Bryant isn’t sure when he’ll feel well enough that a return to the field is feasible.  He received two anti-inflammatory shots on Tuesday, though the injections apparently only provided limited help given his nausea today.  In the bigger picture, Bryant also said he isn’t considering retirement, stating plainly that “I want to play.  I want to talk to doctors, see if there’s anything else we can do.  But, yeah, I want to not give up.”

Bryant’s seven-year, $182MM contract with the Rockies can’t be considered anything but a bust, as Bryant has hit only .244/.324/.370 over 712 plate appearances during the life of the deal, and the Rox have a disastrous 192-315 record since Opening Day 2022.  Beyond all the talk of salaries and second-guessing front office decisions, one can’t help but feel sympathy for Bryant as he is struggling through what is clearly a painful situation that is impacting the quality of his life.

Until a health breakthrough emerges or perhaps until Bryant decides to get surgery, all he and the Rockies can do is play the waiting game.  Colorado’s dismal 4-17 start has almost surely sunk whatever chance the team had at a competitive season, and the Rox have increasingly turned to a number of younger players making their MLB debuts as a possible glimpse into the future.

Rockies Place Victor Vodnik On Injured List, DFA Evan Justice

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The Rockies announced a flurry of bullpen moves this morning headlined by the club placing right-hander Victor Vodnik on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Zach Agnos was selected to the roster to replace him and will make his MLB debut when he first gets into a game. Meanwhile, left-hander Evan Justice was designated for assignment to make room for Agnos on the 40-man roster.

Vodnik, 25, made his MLB debut back in 2023 and emerged as an intriguing bullpen piece for the Rockies last year. He pitched to a 4.28 ERA in 73 2/3 innings, good for an above-average 110 ERA+ due to the fact that he calls Coors Field home. His 4.18 FIP was also slightly above bar when adjusted for ballpark, and he generated grounders at an impressive 54.4% rate that helped to make up for his lackluster 20.3% strikeout rate and inflated 11.3% walk rate. All of that was enough to make Vodnik one of the more impressive relievers in the Rockies’ bullpen last year, and after picking up nine saves in 2024 he figured to be in the conversation for the closer job once again this year.

That’s not how things have played out so far, as Vodnik has scuffled badly so far this season. While his 4.50 ERA isn’t markedly higher than last year’s figure, his peripherals have fallen off massively. Most notably, he’s walking an unacceptable 17.1% of his opponents while his groundball rate has dipped to just 42.9%. While these struggles have occurred in just nine appearances, Vodnik’s 6.52 FIP and 7.26 xERA are difficult to ignore. It seems as though Vodnik’s issues with finding the strike zone were at least enough to convince the Rockies to give him some time to reset on the injured list. If the issue is only a short-term issue and simply an opportunity for Vodnik to get sharp before returning to the big league bullpen, he could be back in the fold early next month. It’s possible a longer stay could be required as well depending on the severity of the injury, but no firm timetable for Vodnik’s ailment has been announced to this point.

Replacing Vodnik on the club’s roster is Agnos, a tenth-rounder from the Rockies’ 2022 draft. The 24-year-old hurler was primarily a hitter in college but converted to pitching upon being drafted. After a strong 2023 season where he mowed down hitters at Single-A Fresno to the tune of a 2.06 ERA with a 30.8% strikeout rate, Agnos followed that up with an even more dominant showing at the High-A and Double-A levels last year. He struck out 31.3% of opponents while showing off a 1.38 ERA, including a 1.95 ERA with the team’s Hartford affiliate. That was all more than enough to earn Agnos a call-up to Triple-A to start 2025, and so far he’s picked up right where he left off with a 2.25 ERA and 32.3% strikeout rate in eight innings of work. That exciting production will now get a chance in the majors, albeit with the challenge of calling Coors Field home attached as well.

Making room for Agnos on the 40-man roster is Justice. The southpaw did not appear in the majors this year but has had brief stints with Colorado in each of the past two campaigns. A fifth-rounder selected by the Rockies back in 2021, Justice has just 7 2/3 innings of work at the big league level during which he’s surrendered a 8.22 ERA and 5.08 FIP. The lefty has walked (9) more batters than he’s struck out (8) while also allowing 14 hits in ten appearances. The Rockies will have one week to try to work out a trade involving Justice or else attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he manage to get through waivers unclaimed, the Rockies would then have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues to serve as non-roster depth going forward.

Rockies Place Ezequiel Tovar On 10-Day Injured List

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2:14PM: Gomber provided an update on his situation to Just Baseball’s Patrick Lyons, saying that he hasn’t thrown since March 28 and that he received a PRP injection two weeks ago.  “It’s definitely going to be more of a buildup than it was in Spring Training,” Gomber said, though he noted that the range of motion in his left arm has returned in the aftermath of the injection.

12:16PM: The Rockies announced a collection of roster moves, including the news that shortstop Ezequiel Tovar has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 16) due to a left hip contusion.  Outfielder Brenton Doyle was also placed on the bereavement list (retroactive to April 17), and Colorado filled the two roster spots by calling up outfielder Jordan Beck from Triple-A and selecting Aaron Schunk’s contract from Triple-A.  Left-hander Austin Gomber was moved to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot for Schunk.

Tovar’s injury adds to what has been a lackluster start to the shortstop’s third full MLB season.  While far from the only Rockies hitter who is struggling at the plate, Tovar is hitting only .212/.257/.303 through 70 plate appearances, after he delivered a .269/.295/.469 slash line (plus 26 homers and a league-leading 45 doubles) in 2024.  Colorado’s road-heavy early schedule might have something to do with Tovar’s slow start and the team’s lack of hitting in general to date, yet naturally the Rox were hopeful that Tovar’s continued development would include more consistency outside of Coors Field.

Beck is a former top prospect that will get another chance to show what he can do after a lackluster 207 MLB plate appearances over the last two seasons.  He’ll be joined on the active roster by Schunk, who also made his big league debut in 2024 in the form of 39 games and 98 PA (with a .234/.265/.330 slash line) for Colorado.  Schunk has spent most of his minor league career at third base but he has plenty of experience at the middle infield spots, so he can act as a utility infielder to add depth with Tovar out.  Kyle Farmer seems likeliest to move into an everyday shortstop role in Tovar’s absence, and Farmer has already been a fixture in the Rockies’ lineup given his hot bat.

Gomber started the season on the 15-day IL due to shoulder inflammation, and his move to the 60-day now puts him on the sidelines until at least the last week of May.  Gomber was seemingly on track for a relatively quick return to action in early April but his second minor league rehab start was scratched due to more shoulder inflammation, and that setback has now considerably lengthened the southpaw’s time away from Colorado’s rotation.

Looking Ahead To Club Options: NL West

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Over the coming days, MLBTR will look at next offseason’s option class. Steve Adams will highlight the players who can opt out of their current deals, while we’ll take a division-by-division look at those whose contracts contain either team or mutual options. Virtually all of the mutual options will be bought out by one side. Generally, if the team is willing to retain the player at the option price, the player will decline his end in search of a better free agent deal.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona signed the veteran righty, who missed all of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery in January 2024. Graveman was hobbled by back discomfort this spring and began the year on the 15-day injured list. He has thrown a few bullpen sessions but has yet to begin a rehab assignment. During his most recent healthy season, Graveman worked to a 3.12 ERA across 66 1/3 innings between the White Sox and Astros.

Grichuk posted big numbers in a short-side platoon role for the Snakes in 2024. Arizona brought him back on a $5MM free agent deal. He’s making only a $2MM salary and will collect a $3MM buyout on his option at the end of the season. Grichuk hasn’t gotten much playing time, starting six of Arizona’s 19 games (all but one as the designated hitter). He’s out to a decent start, batting .240 with five doubles over 28 plate appearances.

Colorado Rockies

Farmer has been a rare bright spot in what has been a terrible Colorado lineup. The veteran utilityman has started 15 of their 18 games. He’s playing mostly second base and is hitting .345 with nine doubles, the second-most in MLB. Farmer isn’t going to keep hitting at this pace, but it’s an excellent start for a player who signed for $3.25MM after a down year (.214/.293/.353) with Minnesota.

Kinley signed a three-year extension during the 2022-23 offseason. The slider specialist had a brilliant first half to the ’22 campaign, but that was cut short in July by elbow surgery. Kinley hasn’t been the same pitcher since returning. He allowed more than six earned runs per nine in both 2022 and ’23. He has given up five runs (four earned) with seven strikeouts and six walks across 7 2/3 innings this season. Kinley owns a 6.03 ERA while walking more than 11% of opposing hitters over 88 frames since signing the extension.

The option comes with a $5MM base value. It would escalate by $500K apiece if Kinley finishes 20, 25, and 30 games — potentially up to $6.5MM. He has finished two contests in the early going. While the option isn’t especially costly, this is trending towards a buyout.

Stallings produced the best offensive numbers of his career for the Rox in 2024. He returned on a $2.5MM deal early in the offseason. Stallings has been more of the 1-b catcher behind Hunter Goodman. He has started seven games and caught 59 innings. It’s been a slow start, as he’s batting .125 with 12 strikeouts in 27 trips to the plate.

Note: Thairo Estrada’s one-year deal contains a ’26 mutual option, but he’s excluded from this exercise because he would remain eligible for arbitration if the option is declined.

Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Max Muncy, 3B ($10MM club option, no buyout)

This could end up being a borderline call. The Dodgers can keep Muncy around for what’d be his ninth season in L.A. on a $10MM price tag. That’s not an exorbitant sum for baseball’s highest-spending team. Muncy has generally been an excellent hitter in the middle of Dave Roberts’ lineup. He’s a career .230/.355/.482 hitter in Dodger blue. He remained as productive when he was healthy last season, posting a .232/.358/.494 slash over 73 games. An oblique strain cost him three months.

Muncy is out to a much slower start this year. He has yet to connect on a home run in 18 games. He’s batting .193 with 25 strikeouts in 68 plate appearances (a 36.8% rate). It’s very early, of course, but he’ll need to pick things up. Muncy turns 35 in August. NPB third baseman Munetaka Murakami will be posted for MLB teams next offseason. The Dodgers will very likely be involved on the 25-year-old slugger, so it’s possible they’d prefer to keep the position open early in the winter.

Taylor is in the final season of his four-year, $60MM free agent deal. He was coming off an All-Star season in 2021, when he hit .254/.344/.438 with 20 homers. His offense has trended down over the course of the contract, especially sharply over the past two years. Taylor fanned at a near-31% clip last season, batting .202/.298/.300 in 246 plate appearances. He has only been in the starting lineup three times this season.

The Dodgers have kept Taylor throughout his offensive struggles. They clearly place a lot of value on him as a clubhouse presence and appreciate the defensive versatility he provides off the bench. Still, it’s hard to imagine them paying the extra $8MM to exercise the option since he’s essentially the final position player on the roster. The option price would increase by $1MM if Taylor is traded or in the unlikely event that he reaches 525 plate appearances and/or makes the All-Star Game.

Note: Alex Vesia’s arbitration contract contains a ’26 club option, but he’s excluded from this exercise because he would remain eligible for arbitration if the option is declined.

San Diego Padres

Díaz finished last season in San Diego after being released by the Rockies. He re-signed on a $3.5MM deal as the Padres went with the affordable veteran catching tandem of Díaz and Martín Maldonado. He’s hitting .206 in 13 games, though he has taken seven walks against eight strikeouts.

  • Kyle Hart, LHP ($5MM club option, $500K buyout)

Hart, a soft-tossing lefty, returned to the majors after an excellent year in Korea. He signed a $1.5MM guarantee with a ’26 team option that has a $5MM base salary. The option price could climb as high as $7.5MM. It would jump $250K if Hart reaches 18 starts this year, $500K at 22 starts, $750K at 26 starts, and $1MM if he starts 30 games.

San Diego has given Hart a season-opening rotation spot. He has allowed seven runs over his first 11 2/3 innings. Hart has walked five with eight strikeouts and a below-average 8.3% swinging strike percentage.

King’s option is purely an accounting measure. He agreed to push $3.75MM of this year’s $7.75MM guarantee back to the end of the season in the form of a buyout — potentially buying the Padres a bit of flexibility for in-season trade acquisitions. Barring a major injury, he’s going to decline his end of the option and will be one of the top pitchers in next year’s class.

Wade agreed to a $1MM club option as part of a deal to avoid a hearing in his final year of arbitration. He was squeezed off the roster during Spring Training. Wade cleared waivers, accepted an assignment to Triple-A, then came back up last week. He’s playing center field with Jackson Merrill and Brandon Lockridge on the injured list. The option price is barely above the league minimum, but Wade is on the roster bubble and no guarantee to stick in the majors through the end of the season.

San Francisco Giants

San Francisco added Murphy on a two-year deal during the 2023-24 offseason. The veteran catcher has had a difficult time staying healthy throughout his career, and that’s continued in San Francisco. He played in only 13 games last year because of a knee sprain. He started this season on the shelf with a herniated disc that is going to keep him out for at least the first two months. This looks like a buyout.

Rockies Fire Hitting Coach Hensley Meulens, Clint Hurdle Named Replacement

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The Rockies announced that hitting coach Hensley Meulens has been relieved of his duties. Special assistant to the general manager Clint Hurdle has been named hitting coach for the remainder of the season.

It’s an unusual move, as coaching changes don’t usually happen so early in a season. There’s no denying that the results haven’t been pretty for the club in the early going. They are currently 3-15, the worst record in the majors. Their team-wide batting line of .220/.285/.344 translates to a 65 wRC+, also worst in the majors.

But that’s not exactly a surprising development. The club finished the past two seasons with more than 100 losses and did very little to improve the team in the winter. They are one of the few clubs that came into the 2025 season with no real hopes of contending. It would be hard to lay all of the blame on the hitting coach when the roster mostly features unestablished young players and veteran journeymen.

Presumably, the Rockies once felt that Meulens was the right guy to help their young hitters develop. If not, then they probably should have made this move in the winter as opposed to 18 games into the campaign. Perhaps more information will come to light and help put this into context, but for now, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher.

Meulens, 57, played in the majors from 1989 to 1998. After his playing days ended, he pivoted to a coaching career, starting in the minor leagues. He got his first major league coaching gig in 2010 when he became the hitting coach of the Giants. That club won the World Series three times while he was in the dugout. He then had stints as the bench coach for the Mets and assistant hitting coach for the Yankees before joining the Rockies as hitting coach ahead of the 2023 season.

Hurdle, 67, also has a lengthy baseball track record. He played in the majors from 1977 to 1987. He quickly pivoted to a managerial career, getting started with some minor league work after his playing days ended. He joined the Rockies organization in 1994, working as a minor league instructor, and eventually got the big league skipper job in 2002. He held that role for many years and was at the helm for the club’s run to the World Series in 2007, though he was fired partway through the 2009 season.

He served as the Rangers’ hitting coach in 2010 and then got another managerial job a year later, joining the Pirates for the 2011 campaign. He skippered the Pirates through 2019, steering the club to their only three postseason appearances this millenium, which were from 2013-2015. He returned to the Rockies as a special assistant to the general manager in November of 2021 but is now set to return to the dugout.

Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images

Rockies Place Kris Bryant On Injured List

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The Rockies announced that they have placed Kris Bryant on the 10-day injured list due to lumbar degenerative disc disease. Catcher Braxton Fulford had his contract selected to take Bryant’s place on the roster. Right-hander Jeff Criswell was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot for Fulford. Criswell had Tommy John surgery last month and will miss the entire season. Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported the Bryant and Fulford moves prior to the official announcement.

Injuries have been the defining feature of Bryant’s time in Colorado. He is now in his fourth season as a member of the Rockies but hasn’t surpassed 80 games in any of those campaigns. His first season in the mountains, 2022, he hit well but only got into 42 contests. Since then, he has not only been frequently sidelined but also ineffective when in the lineup. He has a .222/.307/.335 batting line over the 2023-25 seasons and is out to a brutal .154/.195/.205 start so far in 2025.

His injury absences have been due to various ailments, including a heel bruise, finger fracture and rib contusion, but back problems have been an ongoing feature as well. In 2022, he spent over a month on the IL due to a lower back strain. A back strain also kept him out of action for almost two months at the end of the 2024 campaign.

Whether those various back problems are all interconnected or not is unknown. The club also hasn’t provided much information on this current diagnosis or what they expect in terms of prognosis. More information will surely emerge tonight or in the coming days.

Either way, it just further compounds the point that Bryant has been an awful investment for the club. Prior to coming to Colorado, he had done it all. He was a Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, All-Star and World Series champion. He had a .278/.376/.504 batting line through 2021. He hit free agency and landed a seven-year, $182MM deal with the Rockies.

Even at the time, it was a bit of a head-scratcher. The Rockies had just wrapped up their third straight losing season and near-term contention didn’t seem highly likely. Some were calling for a rebuild at that time, but they went in another direction by making this big investment. As mentioned, it hasn’t worked out, and the club hasn’t gotten any better. They lost 94 games in 2022 and got to triple digits in each of the past two seasons. They are the worst team in baseball so far this season with a 3-12 record.

Bryant had largely been serving as the designated hitter, so the club will have some options now in who they give those at-bats to. The fact that they have called up a catcher perhaps indicates that Hunter Goodman might move out from behind the plate more often. He has been splitting the catching duties with Jacob Stallings but now perhaps could take the DH slot or move to the outfield, where he has some experience.

Fulford, 26, was a sixth-round pick of the Rockies in 2021. Back in January, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs gave him an honorable mention on his list of the top prospects in the system, noting that he has poor defense and contact hitting but good power. In his 1,219 minor league plate appearances, he has hit .265/.375/.455 with 40 home runs. He struck out at a 25.1% clip last year and is at 27.3% so far this year. Given his bat-first tendencies, perhaps Goodman will stay in the catching mix while Fulford takes some DH time.

Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images

Rockies Promote Adael Amador, Place Tyler Freeman On 10-Day IL

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The Rockies announced that infielder Tyler Freeman has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 10) due to a left oblique strain.  Infield prospect Adael Amador has been called up from Triple-A to take Freeman’s spot on the active roster, as Amador hinted via a message on his Instagram page yesterday.

Freeman suffered his injury while taking warm-up swings in the cage prior to Saturday’s game, so he was a late scratch from the lineup.  The only question now is the severity of Freeman’s strain, as even a mild oblique problem will likely mean that the infielder will miss 2-3 weeks of action.  The injury adds to what has been a rough start to Freeman’s season and tenure in Colorado, as he has just one hit over his first 16 trips to the plate in a Rockies uniform.

Acquired in a late spring trade with the Guardians for Nolan Jones, Freeman was viewed as a versatile utility option that could help the Rox all over the field.  Six of his seven games have come at the second base position, ostensibly in a timeshare with Kyle Farmer though Farmer has been getting a lot more playing time due to his hot bat.  Farmer is also a multi-position player, so the Rockies could move him to one of their multiple struggling spots on the diamond in order to free up second base for Amador, as the Rox surely want to give him plenty of playing time in his second stint in the majors.

Amador had only a .394 OPS over 36 plate appearances and 10 games with Colorado last season, as his brief debut in the Show was cut short by a month-long IL trip due to an oblique issue of his own.  The Rockies optioned Amador back to Double-A Hartford after his IL activation, and the infielder finished his first full season of Double-A ball with a .230/.343/.376 slash line, 14 homers, and 35 stolen bases (in 46 attempts).

The 2024 promotion was seen as a surprise, given how Amador had never played in Triple-A and he hadn’t even amassed much success (or playing time) at Double-A before the Rockies debuted him in the big leagues.  Starting the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Albuquerque, Amador is at least hitting well with a .275/.408/.450 slash line and two home runs, though he still has only 49 PA on his resume at the top minor league level.

Amador received top-100 prospect attention prior to both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, though among the major pundits, Baseball Prospectus (at #79) was the only outlet that still had Amador in their 2025 rankings following his lackluster 2024 campaign.  Amador is just two days removed from his 22nd birthday, so it is far too early to write off his potential as a future second-base staple in Denver.

MLBTR Podcast: Vlad’s Massive Deal, Extensions for Merrill and Marte, And Quinn Priester Traded

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

Check out our past episodes!

  • Garrett Crochet’s Extension, Problems In Atlanta, And Other Early-Season Storylines – listen here
  • What We Learned From The Offseason – listen here
  • The Rays’ Stadium Deal Is Dead, Rangers’ Rotation Issues, And More! – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images

Octavio Dotel Dies In Roof Collapse Tragedy

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Former major leaguer Octavio Dotel has died in a tragic accident, Major League Baseball confirmed. The news was first reported by multiple outlets in the Dominican Republic, including Diario Libre. The roof of the Jet Set club in Santo Domingo collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday morning. As of Tuesday night, at least 98 people have lost their lives while nearly 200 more were injured, according to The Associated Press. Dotel was 51 years old.

Exact details of the tragic situation are difficult to pin down, but it appears hundreds of people were in the venue for a concert when the collapse happened. Dozens of people have been pulled out alive but many have died and the figures are likely to change. Dotel was reportedly trapped for about 11 hours before being rescued and initially survived, but was declared dead after being taken to a hospital.

Dotel was well known to baseball fans because he pitched in the majors for over a decade and bounced around to various teams. He made his major league debut with the Mets in 1999, working in a swing role. He was traded to the Astros ahead of the 2000 season and continued to work both out of the rotation and the bullpen for a while.

He eventually moved into a primary relief role and had more success. Though his earned run average was over 5.00 in both 1999 and 2000, he posted a 2.66 ERA in 2001. He tossed 105 innings over 61 appearances, only four of those being starts.

He continued working as a solid reliever for years after that, bouncing to the Athletics, Yankees, Royals, Braves, White Sox, Pirates, Dodgers, Rockies, Blue Jays, Cardinals and Tigers. He finished his career with a 3.78 ERA in 758 games. He recorded 109 saves and 127 holds. He won the World Series with the Cardinals in 2011. He was a part of a combined no-hitter with the Astros in 2003. He retired in 2014.

We at MLB Trade Rumors send our deepest condolences to Dotel’s family, friends and fans, as well as the hundreds of others who have been impacted by this awful event.

Photo courtesy of Kelley L Cox, Imagn Images

Rockies Promote Zac Veen, Option Jordan Beck

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April 8: The Rockies have formally announced the moves. Veen is up from Albuquerque for his MLB debut, while Beck has been optioned to Triple-A in his place.

April 6: The Rockies are promoting top outfield prospect Zac Veen for their next game against the Brewers on Tuesday, according to a report from Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Outfielder Jordan Beck will be optioned to make room for Veen on the active roster, and Veen is already on the club’s 40-man roster.

It’s a slightly delayed big league debut for Veen, who was in the conversation for an Opening Day roster spot but ultimately lost out to Beck, Sean Bouchard, and non-roster invitee Nick Martini for a shot at regular work in the corner outfield for Colorado to start the year. The 23-year-old was Colorado’s first-round pick back in 2020 and was a consensus top-50 prospect early in his pro career. That prospect status was built primarily on phenomenal performances at the Single-A and High-A levels, where he posted slash lines of .301/.399/.501 and .269/.368/.439 respectively.

He’s been limited to just 111 games by injuries over the past two years, however, which has dropped his prospect stock significantly. A lackluster stint at Double-A in 2022 where he hit just .177/.262/.243 across 34 games already presented some red flags, so many prospect evaluators bailed on Veen when he struggled to a lackluster .209/.304/.308 slash line in 46 games at the level in 2023, particularly when combined with a wrist injury that cost him most of the season. The outfielder’s numbers bounced back somewhat in 2024, as he slashed .258/.346/.459 across four levels of the minors last year while battling thumb and back issues that limited him to just 65 games.

Fortunately, he finally showed he could hit Double-A pitching in a 36-game sample last year and even held his own at Triple-A, with six homers in 21 games despite a 29.3% strikeout rate. That was enough to earn Veen a shot to prove himself during camp this year, and while he ultimately didn’t make the club’s Opening Day roster he made the most of the opportunity and hit well with a .270/.352/.460 slash line in 28 spring games. Since being demoted to Triple-A, he’s done nothing but hit, posting a scorching .444/.516/.778 slash line with as many extra-base hits (six) as strikeouts in his first seven games of the year at the level.

Clearly, that was enough that the Rockies couldn’t justify keeping him in the minors any longer. That leaves Beck ticketed for Triple-A, and the 38th-overall pick of the 2022 draft certainly didn’t do himself any favors this year when it came to keeping his roster spot. The outfielder’s showing in camp was solid enough, as he posted a .231/.306/.446 slash line in 24 games, but that line paled in comparison to that of Veen and Beck also struck out at a 34.7% clip. Once the regular season began, however, Beck’s production tanked as he’s gone just 3-for-23 with a 34.8% strikeout rate and zero extra-base hits. Combined with a lackluster .188/.245/.276 showing in 55 games last year, and it seems clear that the 23-year-old needs more time to develop in the minors before he’s ready for the majors.

What’s unclear is how playing time will be distributed in the Rockies’ outfield mix going forward. Martini and Mickey Moniak, both left-handed hitters, have largely platooned with the right-handed Beck and Bouchard in the outfield corners to this point. Brenton Doyle is locked into center field on a daily basis, and Veen makes little sense as a platoon partner for either Martini or Moniak given his status as a fellow lefty bat. Given Veen’s status as a (formerly) highly-touted prospect, it seems likely that the club will give him a run of everyday playing time going forward.

That could come at the expense of either Martini or Moniak, who would be relegated to a bench role, but it’s also at least possible the club is planning to move Kris Bryant into a reserve role. The club’s oft-injured $182MM man has struggled badly both during Spring Training and since the season began in his new role as the club’s regular DH, having collected just six total hits in 59 plate appearances between camp and the regular season. To what extent Bryant can handle playing the field is unclear after injuries limited him to just 159 games from 2022 to 2024, but it’s at least plausible the club could use him as a right-handed complement to Veen, Martini, Moniak, and Michael Toglia across the outfield corners, first base, and DH if they were to decide to move him to a part-time role.

Such a decision would be a bold one given both Bryant’s massive contract (which runs through 2028) and his previous success as a four-time All-Star and the 2016 NL MVP award winner. At the same time, the Rockies appear to be years from contention and Bryant simply hasn’t produced at the plate since the 2022 season, even when healthy enough to take the field. Perhaps the debut of Veen is enough to convince the club to try and maximize Bryant’s effectiveness in a more limited role going forward.

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