Rockies reinstate Victor Vodnik, option Eiberson Castellano to Albuquerque

Victor Vodnik is back in Colorado’s bullpen, and Eiberson Castellano went the other way to Albuquerque as the Rockies made a direct swap between a proven late-inning arm and a rookie who had barely finished his first fast rise. Vodnik was activated from the 15-day injured list on June 15 after dealing with right ulnar nerve inflammation, while Castellano was optioned back to Triple-A after a brief, eye-catching run that included his first big-league call and his first Pacific Coast League honor.

Vodnik had missed nearly a month and had not appeared in a game since May 20, but he checked every box in Albuquerque before returning. He threw two scoreless rehab appearances with the Isotopes, and the Rockies brought him back with four saves, the most on the club at the time of the move. MLB.com’s injury tracker had pegged him for a mid-June return and said he could be activated as early as June 16, making this a return that fit the club’s timeline and restored one of its few established finishers.

Castellano’s trip back to Albuquerque does not erase what he just did in the system. Promoted from Double-A Hartford to make his Triple-A debut in Salt Lake City, the right-hander fired 6.0 scoreless innings of one-hit ball with seven strikeouts, then was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for June 1-7. The Rockies selected his contract on June 13, and MLB.com lists his major-league debut as June 14, putting him in a whirlwind stretch that turned a minor league breakout into a big-league cameo almost immediately.

For Colorado, the move was less about punishing Castellano than about sorting out a bullpen that has been churned by injuries and rehab assignments, including Jimmy Herget’s return and several other pitching moves earlier in June. Vodnik’s return tightens the late innings right away, while Castellano goes back to Albuquerque with his stock intact and a clear assignment: turn one electric week into a longer run that keeps him in the next wave for Colorado. The Rockies did not close the door on that path, but they did show that Vodnik still has the higher-leverage claim right now.