Adael

Amador

The move comes a day after he criticized Rockies ownership on social media. Amador has been up-and-down more than your typical 22-year-old, and he’ll head back to Albuquerque with Ryan Ritter (finger) back for the Rockies. Amador has fantasy upside, but there’s clearly a ways to go before he fulfills it.

Even if Thairo Estrada can come back from his latest injury, it’s probably time for the Rockies to commit to Amador at second base and see if he’s a potential 2026 regular. The 22-year-old hasn’t excelled thus far, hitting .184/.273/.276 in 112 plate appearances.

Amador is sent back to Triple-A with Thairo Estrada (thumb) reinstated off the injured list. The 22-year-old still offers some long-term upside, but doesn’t offer fantasy relevance in 2025.

Amador returns to the majors ahead of Sunday’s contest against the Twins with versatile infielder Ryan Ritter hitting the injured list with a finger laceration. The 22-year-old former prospect has struggled to find his footing at the highest level, batting .153 (19-for-124) with one homer and two steals in 43 games for the Rockies over the last two seasons.

The Rockies agreed to terms with Orlando Arcia earlier in the week, so it seems likely that he’ll be joining the big league roster on Friday, with Amador’s demotion clearing the way for him. The 22-year-old infielder was hitting a putrid .146/.240/.225 with one homer, five RBI and a 25/10 K/BB ratio in 102 plate appearances. He’ll return to an everyday role at the Triple-A level where he’ll hopefully get back on track.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and Thomas Harding have also confirmed the initial report. Arica was released over the weekend by Atlanta after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 30-year-old’s offensive numbers were abysmal this season, but the fact that his defensive metrics have tumbled off the metaphorical cliff are what seem to have sealed his fate. It’s unclear how he fits into Colorado’s plans with Ezequiel Tovar locked in at shortstop, but he presumably will get a look at second base where prospect Adael Amador has underachieved so far.

Amador also appeared to throw his glove at a Paul Goldschmidt liner over his head, which might have gotten him a little talking to in the dugout. The 22-year-old Amador figures to return to Triple-A once Thairo Estrada’s rehab assignment is complete.

Amador is hitting just .173 (9-for-52) with one homer, three RBI and one steal in 20 games this season at the highest level. Unfortunately, the Rockies don’t have a viable alternative at the position until Ezequiel Tovar (hip) returns from the injured list, which would likely push Kyle Farmer back to second base.

Tovar also played the entire game at shortstop, which is a positive step in his return from a hip injury. When Tovar does return, Kyle Farmer will likely go back to playing mostly second base, which means Adael Amador could be sent back to the minors.

Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.