Amador rejoins Rockies with switched-up swing

DENVER – Improving the swings of switch-hitting Rockies rookie second baseman Adael Amador was going to take time. And Amador made sure not to waste any of that time looking at his phone for a recall to the Majors.

Optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque in late May after receiving regular playing time toward the end of his first Major League trial this season, Amador shortened his stride from both sides. After slashing .279/.361/.397 with four home runs and 24 RBIs during a 34-game retool, Amador, 22, was back on the Rockies’ Major League roster on Sunday.

“I was told why I needed to work, and that was the main thing,” Amador said in Spanish, with third-base coach Andy González interpreting. “I went down there, working on whatever I needed to work on, and kept focusing on stuff in Triple-A and nothing up here, because I can’t control that.”

Amador topped the Rockies’ prospect list a couple of years back, but that’s no guarantee for production – especially for a player who was barely 21 when he made his Major League debut on June 9, 2024. Amador’s .171 average last year -- before an oblique injury sent him to the injured list and then back to Double-A Hartford -- and his .146 average in 36 games this year exposed an issue.

Shortly after replacing Bud Black, interim manager Warren Schaeffer began feeding Amador regular playing time to make clear his strengths and weaknesses at the plate. From both sides, Amador would end his leg kick with a lengthy stride toward the pitcher. That meant his head and eyes were moving dramatically. Hitting coaches Hensley Meulens (before the season), González (who began the year as assistant hitting coach), Clint Hurdle, Jordan Pacheco and Nic Wilson knew corrections were necessary.

It took time in Triple-A with manager Pedro Lopez and hitting coach Aaron Muñoz to execute the fixes.

“We saw that and worked on it,” González said. “But it’s hard for him – hard for anybody – to work on stuff up here. I’m glad he went down there. We explained it to him, he understood what we were trying to say, and hopefully he learned and he’s ready to go.”

Amador dove into fixes. On the right side, where he receives fewer at-bats, he has also shortened the leg kick.

Schaeffer started Kyle Farmer on Sunday against Twins righty All-Star Joe Ryan. While Amador will get playing time, it will not be every day, with the Rockies looking for the best matchups.

“I trust Adael in terms of what he wants to do on the baseball field and what he wants his career to look like,” Schaeffer said. “He’s a hard worker – he works tirelessly and knows what he needs to get better at.

Amador was recalled on Sunday because Ryan Ritter, who has played well at shortstop and second base during injuries to Ezequiel Tovar and Thairo Estrada, was hit on the right middle finger on a bunt during Saturday night’s 10-6 victory over the Twins. The finger was not broken, but he needed three stitches, and the Rockies placed him on the 10-day injured list to recover.

So Amador has a chance to move forward at the Major League level.

“My confidence was getting better when I was up here, playing every day,” Amador said. “Day by day, I was getting more confident and I feel I can do the job now.”