Colorado Rockies: Alan Trejo and the ever-changing bench

Having spent more than two weeks on the injured list while batting an oblique strain with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, Alan Trejo admits he was a little surprised when the Colorado Rockies called him back to Denver prior to this weekend’s series against the San Diego Padres.

“Buddy (Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black) always says be ready for anything,” Trejo smiled.

Making the start at third base on Friday night in the place of Ryan McMahon, who is slashing just .198/.283/.292 through his last 30 games with one home run, Trejo and Sean Bouchard, another Triple-A promotion, were new names on the Rockies’ active roster heading into the series with the National League West-leading Padres.

With Sam Hilliard being sent back to Triple-A to try to find his swing again and Garrett Hampson on the COVID IL, it was time for some fresh faces in Denver after the Rockies had dropped seven games in a row at home and fallen 10 games under .500 on the season.

Something had to change for the Rockies, given the current state of the team and the slide in the standings. Something did on Friday (with Trejo’s addition and the Rockies remembering how to hit home runs) … and something else will on Monday when MLB mandates that a team can have no more than 13 pitchers on its active 26-man roster.

Colorado currently has 14 pitchers and 12 position players, meaning Black’s bench will grow by a man while his bullpen shrinks in time to start a road trip through Miami and Minnesota.

But can there finally be production found at the end of the Colorado Rockies bench?

Heading into Friday’s game, Colorado’s bench was 7-for-29 this season with 10 strikeouts in its pinch-hitting appearances this season. With the designated hitter now a part of the National League, the bench doesn’t play as big of a role during the game, but the Rockies have to have capable players to put in the lineup to give regulars off days when needed or if Colorado’s depth is tested by an injury. Can some of the new faces be the answer for that, or some of the faces still in the minor league system?

For the Rockies to get that answer, they need the at-bats to either sink or swim at the MLB level. Brian Serven has already shown what could happen with a new callup when given the at-bats to play and prove his worth. Trejo has flashed his bat and glove in his first round with the Rox. Elehuris Montero has shown that he can contribute.

How Colorado will address its bench on Monday and what changes lurk as the road trip begins remain to be seen. Something has to change for the Rockies … and something will soon enough.

Be ready for anything indeed when it comes to a team that needs some kind of positives after a very negative stretch (15-28 in May and June). Maybe, just maybe, those positives will come from a lineup that could have enough depth to be mixed and matched, but not overmatched.