It’s Tovar Time: Colorado Rockies to call up prospect Ezequiel Tovar

The Colorado Rockies are expected to call up Ezequiel Tovar, their second-ranked prospect, to likely make his Major League debut on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants as a four-game series between the NL West rivals wraps up at Coors Field.

Colorado Rockies look to the future with the promotion of shortstop prospect Ezequiel Tovar

Multiple sources, including Thomas Harding of MLB.com, confirmed the promotion of the 21-year-old Tovar, who was ranked 28th among all of MLB’s top prospects and the ninth-ranked shortstop prospect among all MLB teams.

As we discussed in this podcast, the promotion of Tovar makes perfect sense for a Rockies team that has officially been eliminated from postseason contention and is looking ahead to the 2023 campaign. If all goes according to Colorado’s plans, Tovar will likely be the Opening Day shortstop for the Rockies in 2023.

The call-up of Tovar makes sense as Jose Iglesias, who has 423 at-bats as the Rockies shortstop this season before landing on the injured list with a hand contusion earlier this month, signed a one-year deal with the Rockies before the season began. Iglesias will be a free agent at the end of the season and it’s unsure how he fits into future plans in Denver with Tovar ready to take over in the infield. Now with Tovar in the clubhouse, Colorado can get a feel for what he can bring to the team at the plate and in the field.

Tovar joins a current youth movement in the Rockies clubhouse as 10 rookies were in uniform for the annual rookie coffee and donuts run at Wrigley Field last week as Colorado paid a visit to the Windy City. Another rookie, pitcher Gavin Hollowell, was called up the next day, making that number 11 in a clubhouse with 28 active players.

After putting together solid numbers at Double-A Hartford, slashing .318/.386/.545 in 66 games before batting hip and groin issues that forced him to the injured list, Tovar was promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque in mid-September. Tovar went 7-for-21 with a homer and a pair of RBI in five games with the Isotopes.

We will have more on this story as it develops, including thoughts from Tovar and the Rockies before he makes his MLB debut.