Rockies call on first wave of reinforcements

DENVER – Right-hander Jeff Hoffman returned from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday -- and made steps forward while pitching five innings in the Rockies’ 6-2 loss to the Pirates -- in the first wave of September callups.

Hoffman flashed some of the old issues -- an Adam Frazier home run on the first pitch of the game on a poorly located fastball, some bounced curves and nine hits against him. But Hoffman also held the Pirates to two runs and was able to throw secondary pitches for strikes when behind in the count in some sequences.

It beat the daylights out of his last Major League start -- seven runs, on six hits that included four home runs in two innings of a home loss to Arizona on Aug. 13. Hoffman is at the beginning of some delivery modifications -- keeping his upper body from leaning away from his arm.

“I feel like I can build my own confidence back up,” Hoffman said. “I’ve been given an opportunity to jump back in and really try to prove something to the coaches and myself. The changes that we made when I went back down will help me do that.”

The Rockies also recalled infielder Pat Valaika, who has bounced between Albuquerque and the Majors for four seasons, and lefty reliever James Pazos, who was 9-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 137 Major League appearances with the Yankees (2015-16) and Mariners (2017-18). Valaika went 1-for-4 and Pazos struck out the only batter he faced on Sunday.

Other recalls will be staggered. Lefty Phillip Diehl and right-hander Joe Harvey, for example, were called up Monday and sent back to Albuquerque the next day and have to be out of the Majors for 10 days. Righty starter Rico Garcia, who started against the Red Sox on Tuesday night, could return. The Rockies also are expected to call up veteran catcher Drew Butera, who was a mentor to recently called-up catcher Dom Nuñez.

Here is a broader look at the impact of the farm system in 2019, and what we can expect beyond:

Arrival: Ryan McMahon

With little veteran presence on the bench, the Rockies have used several callups in bench roles with hopes that they will graduate into something more: utility man Garrett Hampson, Valaika and infielder Brendan Rodgers, who is out for the season because of right shoulder surgery but is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Rockies’ No. 1 prospect.

But the player who graduated from prospect to a true Major League role is the left-handed-hitting McMahon (.261/.340/.459 in 118 games entering Sunday). McMahon took off with regular playing time. Outfielder Raimel Tapia (.290/.326/.440 in 117 games) earned regular duty in the second half before suffering a left hand injury.

Breakout: Sam Hilliard

The outfielder earned All-Pacific Coast League honors after setting Albuquerque records for runs scored (109) and extra-base hits (71) and hitting 35 home runs in 126 games. Recently called up, Hilliard contributed two homers and a triple in his first five games.

Something to prove: Hoffman

Hoffman, the key to the 2015 Troy Tulowitzki trade with the Blue Jays, fell to 1-5 with a 7.35 ERA in 10 Major League starts this season. He was 6-8 with a 7.70 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) at Albuquerque. Next season is his last year of options.

“The [Aug. 13 start against the D-backs] was kind of like that straw that broke my back, where it was, ‘Something’s got to give,’” Hoffman said.

Name to watch: Ryan Rolison

The 22-year-old lefty, a first-round Draft pick in 2018 out of Ole Miss, has made 34 professional starts and has 166 strikeouts to 148 walks. Rolison went 2-1 with a 0.61 ERA at Class A Asheville then moved to Class A Advanced Lancaster, where his numbers suggest he has had to deal with a hitter-friendly park and league. He is 6-7 with a 4.87 ERA in 22 starts, but has 118 strikeouts to 48 walks. Where do the runs come from? How about 22 home runs.

He still has development to do and was not on the initial list of Rockies prospects headed to the Arizona Fall League. But he is at the development stage where he could be in line for an invitation to 2020 Major League Spring Training.