The Rockies’ youth movement and roster shuffle continued Friday when the club called up infielder Aaron Schunk and reliever Riley Pint from Triple-A Albuquerque.
The Rockies designated utility infielder Alan Trejo for assignment in a corresponding move.
For Schunk, it’s a chance to make his mark in the majors. For Pint, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft, it’s a chance to make a better second impression.
Schunk, who turns 27 next month, was Colorado’s second-round pick out of Georgia in 2019. He’s the Rockies’ 30th-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He slashed .290/.350/.461 with 14 home runs in Triple-A last season and has similar numbers so far this season (.291/.339/.469, seven homers). However, Schunk has reduced his strikeout rate to 17.7% after whiffing at a 24% clip last season.
Like Trejo, Schunk will be used as a utility infielder who can play second and third. The Rockies are hoping Schunk provides more offense than Trejo, who has never provided much production at the plate. Trejo’s a career .228/.276/.324 hitter. In limited playing time this season, he slashed 143/.182/.143 in 67 trips to the plate.
When Schunk was added to the 40-man roster, the Rockies had to designate Trejo to clear space.
Pint, 26, is still a rookie, though he made a brief big-league debut last May, pitching one-third of an inning vs. Cincinnati. The hard-throwing right-hander has battled wildness and injuries throughout his professional career and briefly retired from the game in the summer of 2021 before returning to the Rockies during spring training in 2022.
In 14 relief appearances (17 innings) for the Isotopes this season, Pint has posted an impressive 3.18 ERA and averaged 17.5 strikeouts per nine innings, indicating that he still has good stuff. However, he still walks batters at a high rate, averaging 8.5 walks per nine innings.
The Rockies had a vacant spot for Pint on the active, 26-man roster after placing right-hander reliever Jake Bird on the 15-day injured list.
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Originally Published: June 28, 2024 at 1:57 p.m.
