Cole Carrigg at shortstop on Monday vs. D-backs

Tovar will take a break for the second time in the series against the D-backs. The 25-year-old will begin Wednesday’s game on the bench with Cole Carrigg handling shortstop duties.

Carrigg is now up to five stolen bases on the season. The 24-year-old has been excellent in his first year of MLB action, and the three-hit night ups his slash to .305/.399/.525 slash in his 41 games. It’s time to take Carrigg seriously if you haven’t already.

Carrigg didn’t start Friday in the first game after the break, sitting in favor of Tyler Freeman and Troy Johnston. Had he been in center, he probably would have done a better job on Spencer Steer’s inside-the-park homer in the eighth. Carrigg likely isn’t as good as his current .288/.371/.529 line, but it’s weird that the Rockies are still treating him as a part-timer when he’s outplaying most of the alternatives (Jake McCarthy being the exception) and he’s the one guy on their roster likely to be a part of the team’s 2028 outfield.

The Rockies are battling a crowded outfield mix at the moment against right-handed pitching, so expect Carrigg to see the occasional day off as they attempt to work everyone in. Tyler Freeman will start in his place in right field and bat eighth for the Rockies against Brady Singer and the Reds on Friday evening at Coors Field.

Carrigg has provided a real spark for the Rockies since being called up back in mid-June, hitting .284 (27-for-95) with 23 runs scored, four homers, 22 RBI and two steals in 29 games. The 24-year-old speedster should continue playing regularly and bat in the middle of the Rockies’ lineup.

Carrigg doubled and scored in the sixth inning, then singled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth, crossing home plate for what would be the winning run for Colorado. The 24-year-old outfielder is hitting an excellent .318/.390/.600 with four homers, 23 runs scored, and 21 RBI across 101 plate appearances.

The double with two outs and the bases loaded against Tanner Scott originally gave the Rockies the lead, but Hunter Goodman was called out at home plate after a review. It was Carrigg’s second double of the game. Because he was the batter when the ninth ended, he opened the 10th as the automatic runner and scored his third run of the game then. Carrigg has been just a part-timer against righties (and regular against lefties) lately, but trades should eventually clear the way for him to play full-time, assuming that his production holds up. He’s batting .309/.385/.593 through 97 plate appearances.

Carrigg put the Rockies on the board early, taking Robbie Ray deep for a three-run blast in the first inning. He later knocked a base hit and scored a run in the ninth. The 24-year-old outfielder has made the most of his opportunity with the Rockies, hitting .293/.378/.573 with four homers, 18 runs scored, 19 RBI, and two steals across 91 plate appearances.

Carrigg’s sac fly wasn’t actually caught. Wilyer Abreu had the hard liner to right with the bases loaded go off his glove, but he quickly recovered to throw out the runner advancing to second base. The runner on third did score on play, though, just as he almost surely would have had the ball been caught. Carrigg is now at .271/.379/.542 with three homers and 11 RBI in 14 games since being called up. His exit velocity numbers aren’t as impressive as his line, but given his stolen base potential, he seems worth rostering in mixed leagues while he plays regularly.

Carrigg’s home run was his third in the first 27 at-bats of his big league career. He’s getting the chance to play with Tyler Freeman (concussion) sidelined. Carrigg is showing enough with the bat to provide short-term value at least. With multiple seasons with at least 40 stolen bases in the minor leagues, there’s even upside for more.