Rockies place Jordan Beck on injured list, recall Braxton Fulford from Albuquerque

Jordan Beck’s left hamstring strain did more than send him to the injured list. It opened a major-league lane for Braxton Fulford, who returned from Triple-A Albuquerque and was expected to be in Colorado’s lineup right away against the Rangers.

The Rockies placed Beck on the 10-day injured list Monday, May 18, and filled the vacancy by recalling Fulford. Manager Warren Schaeffer said the injury surfaced in pregame work a couple of days earlier, when Beck was running after fly balls and felt the strain on one step. Schaeffer added, “I don’t think it’s that bad.”

Beck had already been scratched from Saturday night’s lineup against the Diamondbacks because of the hamstring problem, a setback that now sends the 25-year-old outfielder to the shelf at a moment when his role had become more situational than everyday. Beck was thriving against left-handed pitching with a .316/.341/.526 slash line, but he had managed only a .068/.128/.114 line against right-handers. That split mattered in a Rockies outfield mix that already included Mickey Moniak, Troy Johnston and Jake McCarthy, while TJ Rumfield also had been sliding into designated hitter work when he was not at first base.

For Fulford, the call-up carried immediate meaning. Colorado said the catcher added another left-handed bat and additional catching depth, and reporting indicated he was in line to start the series opener against Texas, batting ninth as the designated hitter. That kind of usage shows how quickly a roster move can ripple beyond its own position group: a hamstring strain in the outfield can alter the daily structure of the lineup, the DH spot and the catching plan all at once.

Fulford was not new to this stage. He had already been recalled to Colorado from Triple-A Albuquerque on March 27 before being optioned back down, so this latest move put him back in a familiar big-league rhythm with a chance to contribute immediately. For Albuquerque, it was another reminder that the path to Denver often runs through one sudden opening, and one injury can change the day’s map for both clubs at once.