Sam

Hilliard

Hilliard performed well after getting the call in late June, hitting .239/.305/.507 over 158 plate appearances in his return to Colorado. It’d be for the best if he doesn’t have a big role for the Rockies next season, but he is more interesting as a reserve than Jake Cave.

Rodgers has dealt with hamstring issues for the better part of two weeks, and he’ll take a seat in a game that means nothing for the Rockies. Don’t be surprised if Rodgers is out of the lineup again Sunday. Brenton Doyle is also sitting for the Rockies on Saturday with Sam Hilliard taking his spot in the lineup.

No reason has been given as to why Doyle isn’t playing. The 26-year-old will retreat to the bench, and Sam Hilliard will start in center field.

Hilliard’s home run was his eighth of the season. He came off the bench as the tying run with two outs in the ninth inning and tied the game with a two-run shot off Porter Hodge. Hilliard doesn’t play enough to have legitimate fantasy value and he’s a bit of a one trick pony, but it can be a fun trick at times and this was one of them. He’s hitting .248 with an .835 OPS and 23 RBI on the year.

Hilliard stepped to plate as Freddy Peralta was pulled and promptly launched a three-run shot over the right field fence. Today was the highest Hilliard has hit this season at sixth in the order as nothing more than a part-time player and defensive replacement. Yet, the Rockies begin a stretch Friday with 12 of 15 home games to close out the season making nearly all of their bats somewhat desirable in the right league.

Doyle left in the fifth inning with a pinky injury, and unsurprisingly he’ll get the day off against the Brew Crew while he recovers. With the outfielder unavailable, Sam Hilliard will get the start in center.

It was a pretty memorable evening against his former club for Hilliard, who slugged a three-run shot off Braves starter Max Fried in the second inning before adding a two-run double in the ensuing frame. It’s performances like this against talented southpaws that will keep Hilliard in the mix for a bench role going forward as a lefty-mashing reserve.

Blackmon is battling a tight hamstring and remains sidelined for the third straight contest with Jake Cave in right field and Sam Hilliard starting in left field. The veteran should return to the lineup when healthy, but the Rockies have been pretty tight-lipped about when that will be.

Hilliard put the Rockies on the board in the third inning when he sent a two-run shot 375 feet into the stands to score Nolan Jones. Hilliard was just getting started, however, as he later hit a solo shot off Frankie Montas in his next at-bat to extend the Rockies’ lead to 4-1. It was the first (and second) homer of the season for Hilliard, who was playing in just his 11th game since being promoted from the Triple-A club in late July. Hilliard entered the day, hitting .182 and is a lifetime .216 hitter over six big-league seasons. It was an exciting night for Hilliard, but he’s going to need more than one good game to become fantasy-relevant anytime soon.

With Charlie Blackmon (hamstring) hitting the injured list on Friday, Hilliard will have another opportunity to show what he can do at the big-league level. The 30-year-old outfielder has hit .288/.374/.542 with 14 homers, 44 RBI, 13 stolen bases and a 77/38 K/BB ratio over 305 plate appearances at Triple-A Albuquerque this season. He’s got the tools to be an intriguing fantasy option if he finds his way into regular at-bats.