The Colorado Rockies moved All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman to the injured list with a shoulder injury after scratching him from their lineup Monday. The Rockies recalled minor-league catcher Braxton Fulford in a corresponding move. Goodman, 26, is the brightest spot in a shameful Rockies team, having made each of the last two All-Star Games with fantastic seasons in the NL West's basement.
He received his first All-Star selection last year, hitting 31 homers and driving in 91 runs while slashing .278/.323/.520 for a .843 OPS and winning his first Silver Slugger award. He has been just as good this season, hitting 34 homers and driving in 69 runs while raising his OPS to .861 on his way to a second All-Star appearance. he Rockies are all but eliminated from the postseason at this point of the year with a 50-75 record, currently sitting 24.5 games out of first place in the NL West behind the 75-51 Dodgers, so rushing to bring Goodman back likely isn't on their priority list. They'll certainly miss his bat in the lineup, but his long-term health is far more important than whatever value he could provide for the remainder of Colorado's season.
Fulford has played 40 games for the Rockies this season, and will likely step into a role behind Brett Sullivan for the duration of Goodman's IL stint. Sullivan, a four-year MLB veteran, has been on the Rockies' active roster all season, featuring in 65 games over the course of the year. Through those appearances, he has seven homers and 27 RBIs in 164 at-bats, slashing .244/.287/.451 for a .738 OPS over the course of the year.
Fulford has also spent some time in the bigs this year, playing in 40 games despite a few stints in the minors. He hasn't performed quite as well at the plate as Sullivan, posting a .544 OPS with one homers and seven RBIs, but he will provide some valuable depth in a physically taxing position. Fulford gets the chance to prove his value to the Rockies on Tuesday, as he starts behind the plate and bats eighth for Colorado as they look to even up their series against the division-leading Dodgers at 5:40 p.m.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
