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Colorado Rockies: 4 reasons why Ryan McMahon needs to be in Triple-A

By Noah Yingling

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 13: First baseman Ryan McMahon #24 of the Colorado Rockies follows the ball against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 13, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 13: First baseman Ryan McMahon #24 of the Colorado Rockies follows the ball against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 13, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Colorado Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon has not been as good as the team hoped he would be.

Ryan McMahon has struggled all season for the Colorado Rockies in his second season in the major leagues (after playing in the majors for 17 games last season). However, he has shown that he is not ready for the major leagues. Here are three reasons why he should be send down to the minor leagues.

Somebody is going to have to go back to the minors

Rockies outfielder Gerardo Parra will be suspended for the Padres series so is he eligible to return after the Rockies off day on Thursday when they go to Miami on Friday. As a result, somebody will have to return to the minor leagues. This could be David Dahl or Noel Cuevas but the Rockies should realistically send down McMahon.

He’s not starting everyday

The Rockies have played 24 games this season and McMahon has played in 22 of them so at first glance, you may think that he is starting everyday. However, entering Tuesday, he has only started ten games. Also, it should be noted that five of those nine games were because Nolan Arenado was suspended. McMahon is only 23 years old so it is not out of the realm that he needs a a little bit more seasoning in the minor leagues and in the minor leagues, he could be starting everyday in Triple-A Albuquerque.

The Rockies don’t need a ton of infielders on their bench

The Rockies have Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, DJ LeMahieu, and Ian Desmond in the infield starting everyday. Particularly with the former three, they have played well enough this year and/or in the past to warrant them playing every day. The Rockies also only carry a three or four man bench since they have a 13-man pitching staff. The team also already has Pat Valaika, who has struggled himself this season. However, Valaika showed that he could be a pinch hitting commodity last season so it is reasonable to guess that he will rebound soon.

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One could argue that McMahon should be kept in the majors because he can spell Ian Desmond at first (especially if he plays as bad as he has been). However, when Parra comes back, he can also play first base, as he has played 25 games there in the pat two seasons. Valaika can also play first base as well.

McMahon has been terrible to start the season

This is, obviously, the most important reason for sending him down. Entering Monday, he had a slash line of .133/.235/.156 with only six hits and three RBI. His OPS+ is 6, or 94 percent below league average. He has also struck out 20 times as well so that’s not particularly great either.

Next: Is it time to worry about Bryan Shaw?

Final Thoughts

Ryan McMahon had a great spring training that earned him a spot on the Rockies for Opening Day. However, it’s obvious that he’s struggling and not ready for the majors yet. Also, there isn’t a clear spot for him to play everyday to prove himself. So, for him to develop more, McMahon needs to be sent back to Triple-A Albuquerque.

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