DENVER | The Colorado Rockies are running a little cool at second base.
That opened the door for Brendan Rodgers, the team’s top prospect who’s swinging a hot bat.
The Rockies are expected to call up the 22-year-old Rodgers for a weekend series in Philadelphia, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move to promote the infielder drafted with the third overall pick in 2015 has not been announced.
Colorado was off Thursday before starting a three-game series Friday against the Phillies.
Rodgers was hitting .356 with nine homers and 21 RBIs in 35 games this season with Triple-A Albuquerque. He was playing mostly at second base for the Isotopes with an occasional appearance at shortstop and third base.
His promotion makes sense: So far this season, Colorado’s second basemen are hitting .200 with no homers and 11 RBIs.
Invited to spring training, Rodgers hit .222 with one extra-base hit in 18 games. Still, Rockies manager Bud Black appreciated his moxie.
“He’s really confident in his abilities,” Black said at the time. “He knows he’s a good player and he knows he’s talented. The way I see him move around the clubhouse and how he’s interacting with the coaches and the players, his personality is more at ease. I think he’s showing who he is.”
Rodgers is a .296 hitter with 66 homers spanning all minor league levels over five seasons.
As for a move to make room for Rodgers on the roster, there are several possibilities:
— Colorado may send infielder Pat Valaika to Albuquerque.
— The Rockies could place shortstop Trevor Story on the injured list to give him time to heal after his collision with outfielder Raimel Tapia on Wednesday in Boston. After the game, Black said the team was “cautiously optimistic” that Story would be fine.
The road to the majors has been jammed for Rodgers, with All-Star slugger Nolan Arenado entrenched at third and Story at short. The tentative plan was some sort of platoon between versatile infielder Ryan McMahon and Garrett Hampson at second.
Hampson was recently optioned to Albuquerque.