SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies outfielder Sean Bouchard’s solo home run Friday against the Guardians and his two-run triple on Saturday against the Diamondbacks served, finally, as Spring Training headlines to enjoy. Bouchard made only painful news the last two years at Salt River Fields. Bouchard finished his debut season of 2022 with a .954 OPS in 27 games and was rising on the depth chart. But he underwent surgery for torn left biceps in spring 2023. Penciled for the right-field job last spring, Bouchard sustained an oblique injury and began the year at Triple-A Albuquerque. He appeared in just 31 Major League games in ‘24 before undergoing postseason surgery for a fractured hamate in his right hand. Bouchard, 28, entered this spring nowhere near the top of the list of outfield storylines. The big subjects are whether Nolan Jones can regain his rookie form of 2023 and which organizational products will work their way into playing time, with Charlie Blackmon retired and Kris Bryant slated for a good chunk of his at-bats coming as a designated hitter. |
Jordan Beck turned heads in Triple-A last year before a hand injury muted his impact. Possibilities for Rockies prospects Zac Veen, Yanquiel Fernandez and Benny Montgomery are the new stories of this spring. But Bouchard can work his way back into the conversation. The case Bouchard had for making the lineup last season still holds. His .368 on-base percentage in 248 Major League plate appearances is an intriguing stat for a strikeout-prone lineup, and his 32 home runs and 103 RBIs in 131 Triple-A games the last three seasons suggest run production. If Bouchard sustains that success, he’ll make headlines soon enough. “I leave that stuff to you guys,” Bourchard said with his usual good-natured smile. “I am just focused on how I can better myself singularly as a player and at the same time, I’m focused on how I can position myself to help the team. “I know obviously there are a lot of young guys, a lot of big prospects. That’s fun. That’s exciting. To be kind of forgotten is a challenge. Hey, I have a chance to come back and remind some people, but really I’m trying to be healthy and put the best version of myself on the field.” |
The right-handed-hitting Bouchard’s control of the strike zone and potential for offense are pluses. He played mostly first base at UCLA before the Rockies took him in the ninth round in 2017, so his outfield defense is still developing. “Sean will be the first to tell you, we’ve got to keep him on the field,” manager Bud Black said. “He’s been nicked up a little bit in his career, even as a Minor League player. But there’s a fundamental hitter in there that’s appealing.” Bouchard has another year of Minor League options, but a strong camp performance could make Albuquerque a non-issue. He’d also like to put the injury issues behind him. “As I stand now, I want to get off this injury train,” Bouchard said. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Nora Farrell / Colorado Rockies |
Before each home game at Salt River Fields, two Rockies players will sign autographs from 11:45 a.m. to noon on the concourse outside the Rockies facility in the right-field corner. |
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Through his first two Spring Training outings, right-hander Bradley Blalock has struck out seven in four scoreless innings. The Rockies entered camp with five experienced pitchers penciled into the rotation, and right-handed prospects Chase Dollander (No. 2) and Gabriel Hughes (No. 22) grabbed immediate attention. But Blalock is staying on the radar, and can even snag an Opening Day spot should lefty Austin Gomber need more time to recover from left shoulder soreness. Last season, Blalock arrived from the Brewers in a July 27 trade, with right-handed reliever Nick Mears going the other way. Blalock made his first six Major League starts and posted a 6.07 ERA in 29 ⅔ innings. Bradley learned that in the Majors and at altitude, attacking the strike zone and keeping pitches low are key. Blalock showed up in Scottsdale early for tutelage with pitching coach Darryl Scott and new bullpen coach Dustin Garneau, and received detailed analysis while working in the club’s performance lab. Blalock’s five strikeouts in two innings against the Dodgers on Thursday showed that the work has translated onto the field. “I got a taste of it last year, got the experiences -- the good and the bad, and I got to learn,” Blalock said. “I went into the offseason, kept my head down and got to work. I knew I could compete for a job this spring.” Blalock issued 5.8 walks per nine innings in the Majors last season, after walking just 3.2 per nine in his Minor League career. But that’s mainly a function of learning to face better hitters. Blalock’s two games at Albuquerque last year were his only in Triple-A, so he essentially went from facing Double-A batters to some of the game’s best. “There’s a component of understanding how your stuff plays in the big leagues,” Black said. “Now it’s just a matter of refinement, polishing the stuff and staying within himself. There are times when a young pitcher tries too hard.” |
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PALMQUIST PITCHING WITH A HEAVY HEART |
Lefty starter candidate Carson Palmquist, 24, who had a standout performance at Double-A Hartford and Albuquerque last year, left the club briefly on bereavement leave. But Black said Palmquist will throw in a Minor League game on Wednesday to build up to Cactus League outings. Palmquist, a third-round pick from the University of Miami in 2022 and the Rockies’ No. 14 prospect at the end of 2024, returned to camp motivated to honor his grandmother, Shelby McCommon. “She deeply cared about everyone, one of the greatest humans I’d known to this day -- always had an ear, always making some food,” Palmquist said. “It’s going to be tough the next little while without her. “As soon as I was leaving the funeral, I wanted to say I’m going to do this for her this year and it’s going to be something awesome.” The Rockies considered making Palmquist a reliever to get him to the Majors faster, but now want to continue developing him as a starter. “We want to get him exposed to this because he, like a couple of young guys, is ready to make that jump to the big leagues,” Black said. “I like him. I like his stuff.” |
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