Ryan

Wheeler

He’ll take the roster spot of Geoff Blum, who was released. Wheeler, 24, was hitting .351/.388/.572 with 15 home runs and 90 RBI through 93 games at the Triple-A level this year. He isn’t known for his glove, but Diamondbacks could take the hit defensively at third base since they’ve been hurting for production there. Give him a spin in NL-only leagues.

It’s amazing that the move took this long, as the D’Backs have gotten very little production from third base all season and Wheeler has been mashing at Triple-A, posting a .351/.388/.572 batting line with 15 homers and 90 RBI. He’s a well below average defensive third baseman but could get the bulk of the starts there, making him worthy of scooping up in NL-only leagues.

The extra-base hits were Wheeler’s first since August 18, while the RBI were his first since August 21. The start was only his third of the month. Wheeler mashed in the minor leagues this season, but is batting just .243/.296/.365 since being recalled on July 20. He’ll compete for a roster spot in the spring.

“Depending on (Willie Bloomquist’s) health, shortstop is probably more of a concern than third base,” general manager Kevin Towers said. Johnson is batting .296/.326/.533 with seven homers in 40 games since arriving in Arizona, which is significantly better than his career .277/.316/.433 line. If he falters, the D’Backs could turn to Ryan Wheeler, and they also have top position prospect Matt Davidson not far away.

Wheeler batted just .239/.294/.339 in 50 games this past season for Arizona, but he had a .960 OPS and 15 home runs in 93 games at Triple-A. The 24-year-old can play both corner outfield positions and third base.

“First base is pretty clogged up right now, especially with Paul [Goldschmidt] just getting there,” Wheeler said. “I want to make it to the big leagues as a third baseman. I know that I need to get better. I want to get there and stay there as a third baseman.” Wheeler is committed to third base despite committing 19 errors there in 2011. Though he’s known as a high-average hitter, his power numbers improved at Double-A Mobile with 16 home runs in 480 at-bats. Wheeler has enough talent to potentially make an impact down the line for the Diamondbacks and may even get a chance in 2012. If he does get a look, it’ll be more for his hitting than defense.

Wheeler had a chance to make the Opening Day roster due to his defensive versatility, but it appears the Rockies are content with Eric Young in a utility role. None of these players project to hold any fantasy value in the 2013 season.

This presumably means that the Rockies could finally place Todd Helton (forearm) on the disabled list. Wheeler, who was acquired from the Diamondbacks over the winter, is hitting .348/.407/.565 with two home runs and a .973 OPS over his first 15 games with the Sky Sox this season. Some thought that a DL move involving Helton could mean that Tyler Colvin could find his way back to the majors, but that’s apparently not going to happen.

He’ll replace the injured Todd Helton (forearm) on the active roster. Wheeler batted just .239/.294/.339 in 50 games with the Diamondbacks last season, but has posted some big numbers in the Pacific Coast League. It’s unclear whether he’ll get enough playing time to be relevant in NL-only leagues.

Wheeler picked up one hit in just nine at-bats while up with the club for a week and a half. With Nolan Arenado up and Todd Helton back from the DL, there’s no room for him.