Colorado resinstates Estrada, DFA’s Martini

ROCKIES

The Rockies’ Thairo Estrada swings his arm prior to a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 21 at Coors Field. GENEVA HEFFERNAN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Patrick Saunders

psaunders@denverpost.com

The Rockies’ revolving door keeps on turning.

The struggling club made several roster moves Friday, including reinstating second baseman Thairo Estrada from the 60-day injured list and designating veteran outfielder Nick Martini for assignment.

Estrada, 29, started Friday night’s game against the Mets at Citi Field. Colorado entered the game with a 9-47 record and is on pace for the worst record in baseball’s modern era.

During the offseason, Estrada signed a one-year contract that guarantees him $4 million and has a mutual option for 2026. He was supposed to be Colorado’s starting second baseman, but suffered a fractured right wrist when he was hit by a pitch in spring training by the Rangers’ Kumar Rocker.

Martini’s spot on the roster will be filled by outfielder Sam Hilliard, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Albuquerque. Colorado also optioned infielder Adael Amador to Albuquerque.

Martini, 34, signed a minor league deal in the offseason and made the team based on a strong spring training, but he slashed just .225/.288/.294.

Hilliard, 31, is back with the Rockies for his sixth season. Hilliard had a poor spring training with too many strikeouts and was removed from the 40-man roster, but chose to stick with the Rockies and accepted an outright assignment.

The left-handed hitter has had a decent season at Triple-A, slashing .288/.372/.538 with six home runs, but his strikeout rate was 26.1%. Hillard’s career strikeout rate in 875 big-league plate appearances is 34.1%.

Amador, 22, made his major league debut last season and struggled at the plate and in the field as he made the conversion from shortstop to second base. He made strides in the field this season at second base, but he’s still overmatched by big-league pitching. In 33 games (102 plate appearances), he hit .146 with one home run and just five RBIs from the bottom of the order.

Veen sent to ACL. Outfield prospect Zac Veen has been sent down to the Arizona Complex League to rehab a sore ankle and work on his swing at the Rockies’ performance lab at its Salt River Fields complex in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Veen made his big-league debut earlier this season but played in just 12 games and struggled mightily in 37 plate appearances, slashing .118/.189./.235 with one home run. His strikeout rate was 37.8% and his walk rate was just 5.4%.