Colorado Rockies minor leagues: Fuentes’ interesting start, Montgomery’s debut

On Friday night, as he attempted to work his way back to the Colorado Rockies, Joshua Fuentes started in left field at Triple-A Albuquerque.

Here’s why that is a note of interest when we take a look around the Colorado Rockies minor league system.

Currently tied with Colorado’s Ryan McMahon at the top of the list for Defensive Runs Saved in 2021 at third base with 10, Fuentes made his first-ever minor league start and appearance in left field with the nod on Friday for the Isotopes. In all, Fuentes has spent 3.2 innings of his MLB career (2.2 in 2020 and 1.0 earlier this season) in left field, but none have been as a starter. Additionally, Fuentes has spent 1.0 inning in right field.

While Fuentes is working on his approach at the plate while in Albuquerque after going 2-for-20 before being sent to Triple-A on July 29, he’s also seemingly gaining experience in the outfield to add to the versatility that the Rockies love to have as a trait in their players.

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Fuentes has struggled in his first few games, batting 3-for-22, with all of his hits being singles. He was slated fifth in the lineup on Friday night, just behind cleanup hitter Greg Bird, who has been on a roll in recent games.

Now let’s go from the opposite end of the spectrum from Triple-A and check in on the Arizona Complex League where Benny Montgomery, the eighth overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft, made his professional debut with a 1-for-3 outing.

It was a solid debut for Montgomery, who talked about his swing just after being drafted by the Rockies.

“My skeptics would talk about a hitch or where I was really coming out of the ground,” Montgomery said. “Both my upper body and my lower body are connected, so Casey realized that and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to try to get you connected with the lower half and really stay on the ground, and we’ll make you feel like your hands don’t have to do as much. We did a ton of drills to stay anchored on the ground and use the ground to my advantage.”

Montgomery started the game in center field and batted fifth as Colorado’s prospects recorded a 3-0 decision over their Kansas City counterparts.