Colorado Rockies: 8 Albuquerque Isotopes players you may not know but should

In a somewhat surprising move, after Saturday’s first game of the doubleheader, the Colorado Rockies made a series of roster moves.

The club sent corner infielder Elehuris Montero back to Triple-A Albuquerque, called up relief pitcher Jake Bird, and, to add Bird to the 40-man roster, the club designated relief pitcher Julían Fernández for assignment.

Bird, 26, was one of the setup men for the Isotopes and he was one of the few pitchers that has pitched well for them on the season (the team has an ERA of 7.03). In 22 appearances in Triple-A this year, the 2018 fifth-round draft pick had a 2.77 ERA with a 0.962 WHIP and two saves. He was averaging 11.8 strikeouts and 3.1 walks per nine innings.

With those kind of numbers in the Pacific Coast League and considering the current state of Colorado’s bullpen, it’s easy to see why Bird was called up.

He has yet to make his MLB debut but he could make it this afternoon in San Diego against the Padres.

Despite his season in Albuquerque, you may not have heard of him before he was called up or heard very little about him.

Here are eight other players on the Isotopes that you may not have heard of but could see some time in the majors with Colorado this year.

Pitcher Brandon Gold has been Albuquerque’s best starter after Ryan Feltner

Brandon Gold has been a swingman for the Isotopes as he has made 12 appearances, seven of which have been starts.

But outside of Ryan Feltner, Gold has been, far and away, Albuquerque’s best starter. Overall, he has a 4.75 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP and a .275 opponent batting average, all of which are second to Feltner among Isotopes pitchers with at least four starts.

Gold, 27, was drafted by Colorado in the 12th round of the 2016 Draft and, oddly enough, he went to college at Georgia Tech, the same college that Charlie Blackmon went to.