The Giants released Welker on Friday.
The 25-year-old corner infielder received his walking papers coming out of the All-Star break after he mustered an underwhelming .237/.388/.274 slash line with zero home runs over 170 plate appearances at Triple-A Sacramento. Welker is only a few years removed from being a top prospect in the Rockies system and reached the big leagues for a brief spell in 2021, but he's struggled to bounce back since undergoing shoulder surgery last summer.
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Giants' Colton Welker: Healthy again at Triple-A
Rotowire
Welker (shoulder) made his season debut for Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday and is hitting .267 with an RBI and three runs in five games since joining the affiliate.
Though he never landed on Sacramento's 7-day injured list, Welker still missed the first two and a half weeks of the Pacific Coast League season while he continued to ramp back up from the left shoulder surgery he underwent last June. Welker is still just 25 years old and was once a top prospect in the Rockies system, but he hasn't logged more than 200 plate appearances in any season since 2019 and will likely need a prolonged period of success at Triple-A before he gets another call-up to the majors.
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Giants' Colton Welker: Rejoins San Francisco
Rotowire
Welker (shoulder) re-signed with the Giants on a minor-league deal Nov. 19.
Welker opted to stick around in the Giants organization after he was designated for assignment Nov. 16 and then cleared waivers. The 25-year-old corner infielder previously saw 19 games of big-league action with the Rockies in 2021, but he was sidelined for nearly the entire 2022 campaign while recovering from left shoulder surgery. It's unclear if he'll be back to full health for spring training.
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Giants' Colton Welker: Removed from 40-man roster
Rotowire
Welker (shoulder) was designated for assignment by the Giants on Tuesday.
Welker was claimed off waivers by San Francisco after he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in June, but he won't retain his spot on the 40-man roster through the offseason. The 25-year-old made his MLB debut with the Rockies in 2021 and went 7-for-37 in 19 games.
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Giants' Colton Welker: Claimed by Giants
Rotowire
Welker (shoulder) was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Welker underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in June and was designated for assignment by the Rockies on Wednesday. He'll find a new organization in the Giants, who recalled him and placed him on the 60-day injured list Friday. It's not yet clear whether the 24-year-old will be available for spring training in 2023.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Loses roster spot
Rotowire
Welker (shoulder) was designated for assignment Wednesday,Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
Welker suffered a shoulder injury in late April and was ruled out for the season after undergoing surgery in June. He has seen limited game action in recent campaigns, as he also received an 80-game suspension for violation MLB's Drug Prevention and Treatment Program in 2020. The move opened a roster spot for Jose Urena, who allowed one earned run across 6.2 innings Wednesday against the Dodgers.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Requires surgery
Rotowire
Welker (shoulder) will undergo surgery in the coming weeks, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.
Welker has been sidelined since late April due to a shoulder issue, and he'll be forced to undergo a procedure that will likely keep him out for the rest of the season. However, the Rockies are hopeful that he'll be able to participate in the Arizona Fall League, and it's possible he joins the major-league club in 2023 as long as he returns to full health by next season.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Sidelined by shoulder injury
Rotowire
Welker is on the 7-day injured list with Triple-A Albuquerque due to a shoulder injury, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Welker has been sidelined since April 21, which was his second game back at Triple-A after a brief stint with Colorado. The team has described Welker's shoulder as being "loose," so he is currently going through strengthening exercises. Assuming Welker can return to health, he could be in line for another opportunity at the big-league level as the season progresses.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Back to Triple-A
Rotowire
Welker was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque after Monday's game against the Phillies, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.
Welker's time in the majors this time around was brief, as he was just recalled Sunday. He failed to make his 2022 debut during his brief stint with Colorado.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Summoned from minors
Rotowire
The Rockies recalled Welker from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday.
He'll offer the Rockies an extra right-handed bat off the bench after Garrett Hampson (hand) was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. Hampson had started in only three of the Rockies' first eight games, so there won't be an immediate opening for Welker to pick up steady at-bats in the Colorado infield.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Draws start Sunday
Rotowire
Welker (eye) will start at third base and bat ninth in Sunday's Cactus League game against the White Sox, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Though Welker won't be joining the Rockies for Opening Day after he was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, he at least appears to have moved past the eye issue that sidelined him for more than two weeks of action. He returned to the lineup for Saturday's 11-11 tie with the Athletics and went 1-for-2 with an RBI while seeing work at both corner-infield spots. Welker's inclusion in the lineup for the second day in a row suggests he came out of Saturday's contest feeling fine.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Welker (eye) was sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, Danielle Allentuck of The Denver Gazette reports.
Welker was moved down Friday after appearing in two games this spring, going 1-for-3 from the plate with an RBI and a walk. He's currently dealing with an eye infection, but he should return to the Triple-A lineup relatively soon. The 24-year-old appeared in 19 games with the Rockies last season, slashing .189/.250/.216 with a double and two RBI over 37 at-bats.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Gets fourth start in six games
Rotowire
Welker will start at third base and bat seventh Wednesday in Atlanta.
Welker sticks in the lineup for the fourth time in six games after going 3-for-15 with three runs and an RBI to kick off his big-league career. Though he's getting a breather Wednesday, Ryan McMahon still looks like the Rockies' everyday third baseman, but his ability to swing over to first or second should open up at least a part-time role for Welker over the final few weeks of the season.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Gets first call-up
Rotowire
Welker will be recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.
Welker served an 80-game suspension to begin the 2021 campaign but reported to Albuquerque in mid-August. He appeared in 23 games with the Triple-A affiliate and slashed .286/.378/.476 with three home runs, 18 RBI and 13 runs during that time. The 23-year-old's numbers in the minors haven't jumped off the page, but he brought his walk rate up to 12.2 percent in Albuquerque and will now play his home games at hitter-friendly Coors Field. He'll provide help in the corner infield behind C.J. Cron and Ryan McMahon while Connor Joe (hamstring) is sidelined.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Reinstated from suspension
Rotowire
Welker (suspension) rejoined Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday and has gone 3-for-10 with a double, three RBI and a run in his first two games of the season for the affilate.
After completing the 80-game suspension he received in May for violating MLB's Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, Welker was finally cleared to report to the Rockies' top affiliate. Before his suspension lapsed, Welker was able to complete a rehab assignment in the lower levels of the minors. Between stops in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and High-A Spokane, Welker slashed .194/.268/.500 over 10 games.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Rehabbing at High-A
Rotowire
Welker (suspension) began a rehab assignment July 26 at the Rockies' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate and has since moved up to High-A Spokane.
Welker has played six rehab games in total between the two affiliates, going 3-for-22 with a pair of walks and two doubles. The 23-year-old opened the season on the Rockies' restricted list after he was handed an 80-game suspension May 6 following a positive test of a banned substance. Since Welker was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque coming out of spring training, he'll first be eligible to rejoin the affiliate Aug. 8. In the meantime, expect Welker to continue his rehab assignment in the lower levels of the minors for the next week.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Sent to minors
Rotowire
Welker was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.
Welker was being considered for a spot on the Opening Day roster this spring after slashing .366/.386/.512 with one home run and 10 RBI in 24 Cactus League games, but he'll head to Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the year. However, the 23-year-old could be in line to make his major-league debut at some point in 2021 if he continues to perform well in the minors.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: In hunt for roster spot
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The Rockies are giving consideration to carrying Welker on their Opening Day roster, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Welker has experience at both corner-infield spots, but the Rockies are most likely viewing him as a candidate for duties at third base, since C.J. Cron has seemingly solidified himself as Colorado's everyday first baseman. The post-Nolan Arenado Rockies are far less settled at the hot corner, where Josh Fuentes (.714 OPS in 159 career MLB plate appearances) likely projects as the starter in the likely event Ryan McMahon is needed to fill in at second base for Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) to begin the season. Fuentes hasn't performed poorly enough this spring to lose his foothold atop the depth chart, but Welker has made himself relevant in the job battle by slashing .353/.378/.529 with a 23.5 percent strikeout rate over 34 plate appearances in Cactus League play. Harding notes that manager Bud Black has raved about Welker's maturity and power potential throughout the spring, so the 23-year-old looks like he'll have a legitimate shot to stake his claim to a roster spot over the final few spring games. Welker could be worth considering in the endgame of drafts, considering the upside he would have as a potential everyday player at Coors Field.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: Contract selected by Colorado
Rotowire
Welker was added to the Rockies' 40-man roster Friday.
Welker will unsurprisingly join the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The 23-year-old had a .721 OPS with 10 homers and 53 RBI in 2019 and was able to continue his development with the 60-man player pool last season.
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Rockies' Colton Welker: High on organizational depth chart
Rotowire
Welker or Tyler Nevin will have a chance to play first base for the Rockies in the coming years, according to farm director Zach Wilson, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.
Wilson notes that Ryan McMahon has found a home at second base, so as things stand, it could be Welker or Nevin, assuming the Rockies decline Daniel Murphy's mutual option for 2021. Michael Toglia is the best first base prospect in the system, but he is at least a year behind Nevin and Welker. In 23 plate appearances in big-league camp, Welker hit .438 with two doubles, six walks and one strikeout. He hit just .229/.340/.253 with a 13:12 K:BB in 97 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League. Welker should head to Double-A or Triple-A when the minor-league season gets underway.
