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Colorado Rockies Rundown: Hundley, Murphy, Miller, Minor Leagues

By BobDeMuro |
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Jul 3, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher J. Miller (60) throws during the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Your morning rundown — news, notes, analysis, and more — on the biggest stories surrounding the Colorado Rockies for this Saturday, September 12, 2015.

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As I’m beginning to write this, the Colorado Rockies are in the sixth inning of a pitcher’s duel (!) in Seattle on Friday night, so consider this rundown just a little bit scheduled out. Oh, and Dustin Garneau just hit a three-run home run!

(You’ll have to forgive me, I got to spend the entire day Friday at Universal Studios on the company dime so I’m kind of tired and not down to wake up early to finish a post!)

Me-me-me stuff aside, this is actually a fairly light news day as far as the Colorado Rockies go. A few roster moves (that we saw coming!!) and a few other notes should get you all caught up on the club Saturday morning. Here’s what’s going down in today’s edition of the rundown:

  • Nick Hundley has been placed on the 60-day disabled list with a cervical sprain, ending his season prematurely.
  • Tom Murphy has been recalled from AAA Albuquerque to (a) take Hundley’s place, and (b) make his Major League debut.
  • Modesto Nuts prospect Ryan McMahon was named to MLB Pipeline’s All-Minor League team, which is a really big deal.
  • Remember Daniel Winkler? The former Colorado Rockies farmhand is recovering from elbow surgery, and his career is about to resume in the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves.
  • Justin Miller is about to make Major League history. Oh, yeah, he’s already made Colorado Rockies history, too.

Lots to discuss! Let’s cover today’s news and notes around the Colorado Rockies.

Next: Nick Hundley's season is over

Aug 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher N. Hundley (4) hits game tying RBI triple during the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Hundley heads to the 60-day DL

(via MLB.com)

We called this on Friday morning’s edition of the rundown, FYI.

But gloating aside, this is probably the smart move for the Colorado Rockies to make with Nick Hundley. They’ve transferred him to the 60-day disabled list due to his neck sprain, and that will obviously end his season.

It’s the smart move, considering the Rockies are going absolutely nowhere, and it’s a smart move not to force Hundley to come back for, well, nothing. The Rox are going to need him next year. No sense in potentially doing something dumb to possibly do anything to 2016 with him right now with the club nearing 30 games below .500.

[ Related: Looking at the Colorado Rockies’ 2016 schedule ]

It is, however, unfortunate. It ends Hundley’s season with three weeks to go, and Nick was having a special year. Hundley, with a career .249/.301/.400 slash line, has managed to slash .301/.339/.467 in 2015 with the Rockies. In 389 at-bats, he has 21 doubles, five triples, ten home runs, 21 walks, and even five stolen bases!

Most guys obviously see offensive gains when they come to Colorado, but it’s been very nice to see a catcher the Rockies added with the express purpose of improving their defense behind the plate ahead of Wilin Rosario also become an offensive threat in the lineup. Sad to see that end for Hundley.

Next: Welcome to the bigs, Tom Murphy!

Jul 16, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; United States catcher T. Murphy (19) throws out a baserunner in the fifth inning against the Dominican Republic during the 2015 Pan Am Games at Ajax Pan Am Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Murphy joins the Rockies

(via MLB.com)

Prospect Tom Murphy got the call to replace Hundley on the Colorado Rockies’ active roster, and it was a call that, well, he probably wasn’t expecting, according to Walt Weiss:

“This is his time. Sometimes you don’t see it coming. Tom wasn’t a September callup, so he was probably mentally into his offseason already. But he got a pretty great call, I would imagine, to meet us out here in Seattle and I’m looking forward to seeing him.”

[ Related: Cristhian Adames should start for the Colorado Rockies ]

He’s wearing number 30 for the Rox, as you can see:

He’s the real deal as a prospect, and a good-looking catcher behind the plate and beside it. Coincidentally, I saw what he probably assumed would be his final three games of the year, when the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes went to Sacramento to face the San Francisco Giants’ affiliate River Cats to end their Pacific Coast League season.

Murphy looks the part of a big leaguer, for sure. There will be growing pains — perhaps lots of them — but Murphy would probably be expected to back up Hundley for much of 2016, anyways, so it’s never a bad thing to get a peek at him right now.

Next: Remember the name Ryan McMahon

Modesto Nuts logo [Image via Twitter/Colorado Rockies]

Ryan McMahon puts Modesto on notice

(via Twitter, MLB.com)

Here’s a cool tweet:

We haven’t talked a ton about Ryan McMahon on this site, but he’s the real deal at third base for the Colorado Rockies, spending this year in class-A Advanced, with the Rockies’ California League affiliate Modesto Nuts.

Here’s what MLB.com has to say about him:

3B: Ryan McMahon (Rockies No. 5 prospect) 132 G, .300/.372/.520, 85 R, 43 2B, 6 3B, 18 HR, 75 RBI, 49 BB, 153 SO, 6 SB One of the youngest regulars in the Cal League, he also had the handicap of playing in the hitter-friendly circuit’s least-friendly park at Modesto. Nevertheless, McMahon led the league with 43 doubles, ranked in the top 10 in most offensive categories and slammed 15 of his 18 homers on the road.

[ Related: Prospect Jon Gray shows his upside vs the Padres ]

Let’s see… a young regular third baseman who saw most of his power come on the road and spend the entire year impressing at the hot corner… sounds like a younger version of… Nolan Arenado??

Ok, perhaps not, but the comparison are hard not to make, considering the Colorado Rockies have such a good third baseman up in the big leagues right now, and another one in McMahon waiting in the wings. McMahon strikes out a ton, and his defense is at this point suspect, but he’s certainly got the tools.

Depth is never a problem, though it does create some problems, like, what will happen in 18 months or two years when (hopefully) McMahon is big league ready? Feel free to speculate amongst yourselves…

Next: Daniel Winkler finally reaches the goal

Aug 9, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; A general view of the American Flag flying in the sky over Turner Field during the fourth inning of a game between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Congrats to Daniel Winkler!

(via MLB Trade Rumors)

I’m not sure if you’d even remember Daniel Winkler (but you should!), the former Colorado Rockies’ farmhand who was plucked from the organization by the Atlanta Braves after the 2014 season in the Rule V draft — all while he was recovering from elbow surgery (!) he sustained during the year.

Well, now he’s about to make his big league debut with the Braves (yay!) after recovering from the surgery, MLB Trade Rumors with more:

Braves Rule 5 pick Daniel Winkler has been activated from the DL, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. Atlanta took advantage of the fact that he was recovering from Tommy John surgery to pluck him from the Rockies. The team can now begin building up to the ninety active roster days required to gain Winkler’s rights moving forward. The 25-year-old had shown promise in the Colorado organiation, dominating the Double-A level in 2014 — with a 1.41 ERA and 9.1 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 in 70 innings — before suffering the UCL tear.

[ Related: CarGo’s amazing, but the Colorado Rockies must move him ]

The Braves will have to keep Winkler on their big league roster for at least 90 days next year, since he spent his entire first season after the Rule V Draft on the disabled list.

Good for Winkler, though; he had great stuff and I was sad to see him go from Colorado when the Braves plucked him last winter.

Next: Justin Miller is absurd

May 8, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher J. Miller (60) pitches in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Miller, where are you from?!

(via Twitter)

Justin Miller just set a Colorado Rockies’ record with eight consecutive strikeouts on eight straight batters faced after he struck out Nelson Cruz on Friday night in Seattle.

There’s this, of course:

[ Related: Miller, Diaz providing the Colorado Rockies some bullpen hope ]

Seriously, somebody tell Justin Miller he’s allowed to, you know, get groundouts and stuff. Because this is absurd!

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