Jordan Beck’s attempts to get back on track have hit a detour.
The Rockies’ slumping outfielder was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain on Monday before Colorado hosted Texas at Coors Field. Beck injured the hamstring on Saturday while chasing flyballs before Colorado’s game against Arizona.
This season, Colorado had high hopes that Beck would evolve into an everyday player who could provide juice in the middle of the order. It hasn’t happened. His inability to hit right-handed pitching has limited his playing time and stalled his progress.
“I see a guy who is taking good, solid at-bats against left-handed pitching, and a guy who is struggling against right-handed pitching in general,” manager Warren Schaeffer said.
The statistics illustrate Beck’s dilemma. Against left-handed pitching, he’s slashing .316/.341/.526 (12-for-38) with three doubles, one triple and one home run. But he’s slashing .068 (3 for 44) vs. right-handers, the second-lowest average in the majors against right-handed pitchers (minimum 30 at-bats).
“Listen, honestly, it’s kind of a Catch 22 because he’s not getting a ton of at-bats against right-handed pitching, to be fair,” Schaeffer said. “Because of how our roster is constructed this year, we have a lot of left-handed batters — against right-handed pitching — that have really performed well over the course of the season.”
Schaeffer was referencing left-handed-hitting outfielders Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy and Troy Johnston.
“So, Jordan just hasn’t got the opportunities, probably, that he’s wanted so far,” Schaeffer continued. “He’s still a really good baseball player. Still, in my opinion, not a platoon player over the long haul of the future. It’s just where it’s at right now.”
Schaeffer said he doesn’t think Beck’s hamstring injury is severe.
Beck started slowly last season, too, and was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 7 after starting the season hitting 3 for 20 (.150) over nine games. He was recalled on April 19 and remained on the big-league roster the rest of the season. Following his recall, Beck slashed .262/.319/.426 with 27 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs and 16 stolen bases.
During spring training, Beck said he was eager to improve as a hitter from both sides of the plate and geared his offseason routine to that goal.
“You’ve got to adapt at this level,” he said. “If you don’t, you get left behind, so you have to adjust. Every year, pitchers are coming up with new ways to attack you, so we need to handle that and be able to cover both sides of the plate even more.”
Roster shuffle. In other moves on Monday, Colorado optioned right-handed pitcher Blas Castaño to Triple-A Albuquerque and recalled right-hander Zach Agnos. The club also recalled catcher Braxton Fulford from Triple-A.
Fulford was in the starting lineup Monday night as the designated hitter, batting ninth. His promotion gives Colorado three catchers on its 26-man roster.
“We brought him up to hit left-handed pitching and to make our lineup against left-handers more formidable,” Schaeffer said.
O’Dowd rakes. Low-A infielder Jack O’Dowd, the son of former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd, was named the California League player of the week after slashing .450/.478/1.000 with three doubles, one triple, two home runs, and seven RBIs for the Fresno Grizzlies.
