Colorado Rockies roster news: Chris Owings heads to the injured list … with a different injury than expected

The Colorado Rockies announced before Saturday’s game that they are making a few roster moves.

They are placing veteran utilityman Chris Owings on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb sprain. In corresponding moves, the Rockies are calling up infielder Alan Trejo to take his spot on the 26-man roster. Since Trejo needed a 40-man roster spot, the Rockies have designated left-handed relief pitcher Phillip Diehl.

Owings had been day-to-day recently with a tight hamstring but he appeared in a pinch-hit role on Friday’s game and he tripled. However, he will head to the 10-day injured list with a left thumb sprain.

He was hitting .533/.588/1.133 with an NL-leading three triples, three doubles, two stolen bases, and two walks. He has also already seen playing time at second base and all three outfield positions in the regular season thus far.

Trejo, 24, will be making his MLB debut whenever he plays with the Rockies. He was born in Los Angeles and went to San Diego State University (like Rockies manager Bud Black), which was part of our conversation with him when we spoke with him on our podcast less than two weeks ago.

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Trejo played well in spring training in 2021, as he hit .283/.313/.478 with one home run and five RBI. He played in nearly all of the Rockies spring games (28 games in total) and he also had nine runs and 13 hits, including six doubles. It was his fourth spring training in which he saw action in an MLB spring training game.

In the minors, he hasn’t played in Triple-A yet but in 2019, he spent the entire season in Hartford, playing in 125 games and hitting .243/.290/.391. His primary position is shortstop but he can also play second and third base as well.

Diehl, 26, was acquired by the Rockies just before the start of the 2019 season from the New York Yankees for outfielder Mike Tauchman in a deal that has come back to bite the Rockies. While Tauchman has flourished in a Yankees uniform, Diehl has appeared in 16 games out of the bullpen for the Rockies and he has had an ERA of 8.78. He also struggled mightily in spring training this year as well.

If he goes unclaimed by any of the other 29 teams (which is likely), the Rockies can either release him or keep him at their alternate training site but off the 40-man roster.