Colorado Rockies roster news: James Pazos optioned, Chris Owings to injured list

The Colorado Rockies are making a few roster moves before their day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday afternoon.

According to Rockies manager Bud Black in his pre-game presser with the media, including Rox Pile, the Colorado Rockies are optioning James Pazos to their alternate training site and they are placing utility man Chris Owings on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.

In corresponding moves, the Rockies are activating catcher Elias Diaz off of the restricted list and recalling infielder Josh Fuentes from their alternate training site.

Pazos, 29, hasn’t seen much action in 2020 but when he has patched, he has struggled mightily. In four games (3 2/3 IP), he has an ERA of 17.18, a FIP of 8.60, a WHIP of 2.455, and three walks compared to only one strikeout.

With Pazos being optioned, the Rockies will carry one less pitcher on their roster and now, they will only have one left-handed pitcher in their bullpen in Phillip Diehl. The Rockies had an extra pitcher for a few days in Ashton Goudeau, who was recalled on Monday since the Rockies placed Elias Diaz on the restricted list.

Diaz was placed on the restricted list since he “violated team protocols, some guidelines,” according to Bud Black. However, he would not divulge further. In bringing him off the restricted list just three days later, Black would still not reveal what happened entirely.

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“We (the entire team) were all involved,” Black said on Thursday. “I’m not gonna get into it because we’ll keep it in-house. He satisfied what needed to be satisfied. I’m not going to elaborate because it’s a team issue.”

As for Owings, Black said that he aggravated his left hamstring as he was coming out of the batter’s box in his final at-bat on Wednesday, which was an RBI single in the 9th inning.

Depending on how severe the injury is will determine how soon he can return.

Josh Fuentes will be called up to take his place on the roster. He started the season on the Rockies Opening Day roster but when rosters had to be trimmed from 30 players to 28, the Rockies optioned him to their minor league alternate training site.

In his two weeks on the roster, he did not make as much as a plate appearance or a late-game defensive appearance.

The Rockies will look to salvage one game of their split, home-and-home series with the Houston Astros at 1:10 p.m. (Mountain time) before going out on a road trip that could make or break their season: three games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and four in Arizona against the Diamondbacks before returning home to play the Padres.