DENVER—Looking for a spark to their sputtering offense, the Colorado Rockies are turning to speedy Eric Young Jr. again.
The Rockies recalled Young from Triple-A Colorado Springs and designated slumping infielder Jose Lopez for assignment Friday. They put Young right to work, batting him leadoff and playing him in center field to give a fatigued Dexter Fowler a night off.
“The kid’s been doing a wonderful, wonderful job in Triple-A,” manager Jim Tracy said. “In bringing him here, it will be to give Dexter a day to catch his breath and to try to create some type of spark for our offense. And this young man did an awfully good job of that last year.”
Young spent parts of the last two seasons with the Rockies, hitting .308 with one homer, nine RBIs and 21 stolen bases while playing mostly second base but also some games in the outfield.
“I’m really hopeful that Eric Young Jr. kind of picks up where he’s been here in different stints where he’s provided that spark for the club and create some intriguing decision-making for us from day to day,” Tracy said.
“He’s going to work out in a few different places. We’re going to have him messing around a little bit in right field and every once in a while you’ll see him taking some groundballs at second base.”
There are no plans to give Young any starts at second base over Jonathan Herrera, Tracy said.
Young made his major league debut in center field two summers ago but has only played there a handful of times for the Rockies.
“We’re not asking him to be Willie Mays tonight,” Tracy said. “But he can cover ground. It’s somewhat of a work in progress, but in previous times we’ve had him out there in the middle, I see a comfort level there.”
Young was greeted warmly when he walked into the clubhouse after his call-up by teammates who were hitting a collective .241.
“Everybody had big smiles on their faces when I came in, so hopefully those smiles stay on everybody’s faces for a while,” Young said.
Young has spent the last few months honing his skills in center field and working on leading off and harnessing his base-stealing prowess.
“Sometimes just the fear of me stealing can help a player at the plate with a certain hole, maybe just distract the pitcher and divide his attention and they make a mistake over the plate,” Young said. “I know I’ve got the raw speed. But now I just want to play the mental game with the pitchers.”
And he’s ready to play either outfield or infield, he said.
“I got all my gloves and I’m ready for whatever they throw at me,” Young said. “Last year, I had in the back of my mind I definitely want to be a second baseman. But it’s better to be here and have a whole bunch of gloves. Wherever they want me to go any particular day I’m ready.”
In 42 games for the Sky Sox this season, Young hit .363 with 13 doubles, eight triples, 45 runs, 32 walks and 17 stolen bases.
Fowler has had trouble lately at the plate and on the bases. He was bumped to second in the batting order this week, behind Herrera.
Lopez was acquired from Seattle in an offseason trade but hit just .208 with two homers and eight RBIs in 38 games for the Rockies this season.
The Rockies were hoping he’d return to his ’09 form, when he hit 25 homers and drove in 86 runs for the Mariners, but he quickly lost his starting job at second base to Herrera and then failed to grab hold of the third-base job that was up for grabs with Ian Stewart and Ty Wigginton struggling to stay healthy and gain offensive traction.
Notes: RHP Aaron Cook (broken right pointer finger) is making his final rehab start in Colorado Springs on Saturday and if all goes well will come off the DL next week. … RHP Esmil Rogers (side muscle) will throw 45-50 pitches Monday at extended spring training. … RF Seth Smith is limited with a strained groin.
