Sean

Bouchard

Bouchard passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment last week. The 29-year-old was a notable prospect a couple years ago before suffering a biceps injury that cost him almost the entire 2023 season. He’ll remain at Triple-A Albuquerque as extra outfield depth.

Bouchard is removed from the 40-man roster after the Rockies selected the contract of Nick Anderson from Albuquerque. The outfielder could see interest on the waiver wire, and he’ll have the ability to test free agency if he goes unclaimed/isn’t trade.

Mickey Moniak will be activated from the bereavement list on Tuesday, so it’s back to Triple-A for Bouchard. He had one at-bat and grounded out in his two days with the Rockies.

Bouchard got into 31 games earlier this year for the Rockies. He’s back in the majors with Mickey Moniak away from the club on bereavement leave.

The Rockies made some wholesale changes to their roster on Friday and Bouchard became one of the roster casualties. The 29-year-old slashed a disappointing .169/.250/.246 with one homer, seven RBI and a 27/7 K/BB ratio over 72 plate appearances. He’ll attempt to work through his issues and get back on track at the Triple-A level.

With the Phillies starting left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, the Rockies will keep Nick Martini on the bench and let Bouchard patrol the outfield. This should be the platoon situation for the immediate future.

Jordan Beck, on the other hand, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. The Rockies want Beck to win the right field job, but he’s hit just .218/.295/.400 this spring. Bouchard is at .364/.391/.705, which might earn him an early look. Zac Veen is also possibly in the mix. Sam Hilliard and Nick Martini are still around as well, but neither of them should start.

It was a much-needed strong effort for Beck, who is competing with Sean Bouchard and Zac Veen to open the season as Colorado’s primary left fielder. The 23-year-old prospect remains the favorite, but he’s struggled this spring to a .208 (10-for-48) average with two homers and four steals. His proximity to Coors Field makes him a worthy late-round flyer in deeper mixed leagues.

It wasn’t a cheap one either, as Bouchard victimized Royals’ ace Cole Ragans for his solo shot in the fourth inning, pulling the Rockies to within six runs at 8-2. He finished the afternoon 1-for-3 and is now hitting .378 (14-for-37) with three homers and seven RBI on the spring.

The Rockies tallied just nine hits in the contest — all of them singles — with Bouchard the only player to collect more than one. He has swung a hot bat in Cactus League competition this spring, hitting .394 (13-for-33) with a pair of homers and six RBI.