Rockies alter roster: Reynolds designated for assignment, Senzatela to AAA

On Sunday, the Colorado Rockies several moves before Sunday’s matinee, including designating for assignment first baseman Mark Reynolds. 

Entering the season with 294 home runs, it looked promising for Reynolds to hit a milestone 300th home run with purple pinstripes and become the first player to do so without having ever made an All-Star Team.

“That’s the way it goes,” he said Sunday morning in a quiet Rockies locker room before most players had arrived. “I was figuring after yesterday’s pitching, the way it went, they would make some moves. I’ve been around a long time. I’ve seen a lot moves get made. I saw the writing on the wall a little bit yesterday. It wasn’t a surprise, but still kind of a punch in the gut. But it is what it is.”

Reynolds factored in 78 of Colorado’s 98 games this year, coming off the bench in a majority of those appearance. He hit just .170 with 13 runs scored, 20 runs batted in and four home runs, falling just two homers short of a milestone.

“It’s tough to be consistent when you don’t get consistent at bats. I knew the role I was signing up for. I knew my role on this team. But, it was just one of those things where I couldn’t get going. Someone once told me, ‘If you don’t like it, play better.’ I couldn’t play better,” he admitted. 

Ultimately, he’s not disappointed in becoming the 149th member of the 300 club. “Not really… I had plenty of opportunity to do it. I just couldn’t quite be consistent with my swing. It’s not disappointing: 298 or 300. It is a milestone, but it’s just a number. It doesn’t bother me. (It was) a good ride,” Reynolds said.

In addition to Reynolds, Antonio Senzatela has been sent packing via an option to Albuquerque where the 24-year-old will work on improving his command, pitch mix and keeping the ball down in the zone. In there place, RHP Jeff Hoffman has been recalled and LHP Sam Howard has been added to the 40-man roster.

“We need some reinforcements for our bullpen,” manager Bud Black said of the moves. “The pitching has been taxed over the last few weeks, especially the last couple days. We felt as though two fresh arms would help us through the next few days and with the two fellas coming in, they’re ready to go. We need them in the pen. That was the genesis behind it.”

Black continued to discuss Reynolds and his importance to this club over the past few years. “He’s been a great pro. He really has. He’s had a great career. He was a big part of our 2017 playoff team. He almost made the All-Star team into 2017. This year, again, the at bats were not as frequent as a lot of players need and Mark knew what his role was going to be on this team and just couldn’t get there. We’re going to miss Mark. He was a good Rockie for a couple different years. Again as you guys know, change in this game is inevitable and we need to make these moves for the present.

“I think certain players you miss,” Black relayed on the subject of Reynold’s presence in the clubhouse. “He has a personality and there was a teammate component to him that we’ll miss. But we also know that there’s other guys who pick up slack for those things, which is going to happen. Ultimately, for players, it’s about performance. But with Mark, he was always able to, in his own way of veteran-ness, help the group.”

As for his next step, it’s unclear for the 35-year-old veteran. “I don’t know,” he said. “I want to go home and access what’s going on. I’m not sure.”