Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Clears waivers, sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
Hilliard cleared waivers Friday and was outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque, Suzie Hunter of GuerillaSports.net reports.
Hilliard was DFA'd by Colorado on July 1, but he'll remain in the organization. The 31-year-old has drawn plenty of walks (16.4 percent walk rate) but has otherwise struggled in the majors this season, slashing .196/.328/.412 with two homers, three RBI, two steals and a 37.7 percent strikeout rate over 61 plate appearances. He posted a .910 OPS with six home runs, 24 RBI and five thefts over 40 contests with Albuquerque prior to getting called up in late May.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: DFA'd by Rockies
Rotowire
The Rockies designated Hilliard for assignment Tuesday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.
His roster spot will be absorbed by Yanquiel Fernandez. Hilliard accepted an outright assignment by the Rockies prior to Opening Day, but it's unclear whether he would do so again, provided he clears waivers.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Splitting time in left field
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Hilliard went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 10-6 win over the Nationals.
Hilliard remains a part-time player, but he has started in left field in three of the Rockies' last six games. He launched his first home run Tuesday since May 30, though he does have a total of six extra-base hits across 39 plate appearances with Colorado.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Sitting against righty again
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Hilliard is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.
After getting called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday, Hilliard was on the bench for the Rockies' loss to the Mets that day but started against right-handed pitchers in each of the ensuing three games. Hilliard recorded three hits and drew a walk over 12 plate appearances in those contests, but the Rockies aren't yet prepared to hand him a regular starting role quite yet. The 31-year-old finds himself on the bench for a second consecutive matchup with a right-hander (Cal Quantrill) in Wednesday's series finale.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Getting steady run in lineup
Rotowire
Hilliard will start in left field and bat leadoff in Monday's game against the Marlins.
After being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday, Hilliard sat out against lefty David Petersen in the Rockies' series opener with the Mets, but he started versus right-handers in the final two contests of the weekend and will remain in the lineup again against righty Max Meyer as Colorado opens its series in Miami. Hilliard has gone 3-for-7 with a solo home run and a walk since his call-up, and while he's swinging a hot bat, he looks like he'll get the chance to play regularly for a Rockies squad that's desperate for impact bats.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Launches homer in 2025 debut
Rotowire
Hilliard went 1-for-1 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Mets.
Hilliard was brought on to the Rockies' 26-man roster before Friday's game as his contract was selected from Triple-A Albuquerque. He pinch hit for Tyler Freeman in the seventh inning, and Hilliard took advantage of the opportunity by taking Huascar Brazoban deep to right-center field for a solo home run. Hilliard is unlikely to see regular playing time but could see some spot starts in the outfield.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Contract selected Friday
Rotowire
The Rockies selected Hilliard's contract from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday.
Hilliard was designated for assignment in late March after missing out on Colorado's Opening Day roster, but he'll receive another chance in the big leagues after posting a .288/.372/.538 slash line with six homers and five steals in 40 games with Albuquerque. The 31-year-old had an .812 OPS in 158 plate appearances with the Rockies last season but isn't likely to have a regular spot in the lineup.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Passes through waivers
Rotowire
The Rockies outrighted Hilliard to Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday.
Hilliard appeared to be in good position to make the Rockies' Opening Day roster but was ultimately designated for assignment last week, when Colorado signed Mickey Moniak to a one-year deal to round out its depth in the outfield. Though he turned in a 107 wRC+ over 158 plate appearances in the majors with Colorado in 2024, Hilliard's lack of minor-league options likely worked against him in landing a spot on another team's 40-man roster. After clearing waivers, Hilliard will remain in the Colorado organization and will head to Triple-A while he waits for another opportunity in the big leagues.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
The Rockies designated Hilliard for assignment Thursday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for Mickey Moniak, who was officially signed Thursday. Hilliard had an .812 OPS in 58 games with Colorado last season, but he posted a .489 OPS and 48.2 percent strikeout rate this spring and it cost him a job. He could draw interest on waivers from a team in need of outfield help.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Significant struggles this spring
Rotowire
Hilliard has gone 2-for-21 with 11 strikeouts in Cactus League action.
Hilliard was expected to make the Opening Day roster as the primary backup center fielder, with a chance to also start at a corner position. His defense could still earn him a roster spot, but Sean Bouchard's strong start to spring training is hurting Hilliard's outlook, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Likely for Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Hilliard is likely to compete for a starting corner outfield spot during spring training, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.
Hilliard is very likely to have a roster spot as the primary backup to Brenton Doyle in center field. He'll also compete for a corner outfield spot -- presumably right field -- with the likes of Jordan Beck and Sean Bouchard. Beck could be in the best position to earn the job out of spring training, though both he and Hilliard ended the 2024 campaign in the majors.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Avoids arbitration with Colorado
Rotowire
Hilliard agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract with the Rockies on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
The 30-year-old finished the 2024 campaign as a regular in Colorado's outfield, so it's not a major surprise he was tendered a contract for 2025. Hilliard played in 58 big-league games and had 10 home runs with a .239/.305/.507 slash line, though he also struck out at a 35.4 percent clip.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Provides lone run in loss
Rotowire
Hilliard went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Dodgers.
Hilliard opened the scoring with a second-inning homer, but that was the lone run the Rockies could muster in their season finale. This was Hilliard's 10th homer of the campaign, five of which he hit over his last 15 games. He added a .239/.305/.507 slash line with 27 RBI, 26 runs scored and five stolen bases over 158 plate appearances.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Gaining foothold in lineup
Rotowire
Hilliard will start in right field and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.
Hilliard will stick in the lineup for the sixth game in a row, this time occupying right field after his previous five starts came in either center or left field. The 30-year-old has earned the uptick in playing time by going 5-for-18 with a home run, a double, two walks, a stolen base, three RBI and three runs over the previous five contests.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Belts homer Friday
Rotowire
Hilliard went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Dodgers.
Hilliard has produced when in the lineup in September, going 8-for-26 (.308) with four homers and 10 RBI over his last 10 contests. He's picking up extra playing time with Brenton Doyle slowed by knee and finger issues this month. In a part-time role, Hilliard has nine homers, 26 RBI, 24 runs scored and four stolen bases while slashing .261/.320/.548 over 131 plate appearances this season.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Comes up clutch Saturday
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Hilliard hit a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Rockies.
Hilliard delivered a game-tying, two-out blast in the ninth inning, and the Rockies went on to win in the 10th. Over his last nine games, Hilliard has four homers and eight RBI. The outfielder is at a .248/.302/.533 slash line with eight long balls, 23 RBI, 22 runs scored and four stolen bases over 119 plate appearances this season. He continues to fill a depth role for the Rockies, rotating in as a reserve outfielder versus right-handed pitchers.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Homers in back-to-back games
Rotowire
Hilliard went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Sunday against the Brewers.
Hilliard remains a part-time player in the Colorado outfield, but he has made starts in all three positions. When given a chance, he's been impactful with the bat, slugging three homers with six RBI and five runs scored across his last 19 at-bats.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Homers in loss
Rotowire
Hilliard went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 9-8 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday.
Hilliard has started consecutive games in center field while Brenton Doyle (leg) is dealing with an injury. Playing time has been inconsistent for Hilliard in August, though he's batting a respectable .282 (11-for-39) with five extra-base hits and eight RBI this month. The outfielder is at a .247/.298/.471 slash line with five homers, 16 RBI, 17 runs scored and four stolen bases over 97 plate appearances this season.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: On bench Tuesday
Rotowire
Hilliard is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
With southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound for Arizona, Hilliard will take a seat on the bench. In his place, Jordan Beck will play left field and bat eighth.
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Rockies' Sam Hilliard: Three more hits in win
Rotowire
Hilliard went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's 9-8 win over Atlanta.
Prior to this weekend, Hilliard went 2-for-18 over his previous 12 games, but he responded with consecutive three-hit efforts Saturday and Sunday. The outfielder is up to a .277/.338/.508 slash line with four home runs, 13 RBI, 15 runs scored, four stolen bases and three doubles over 77 plate appearances. While his bat has come to life, he still doesn't have a guaranteed place in the lineup, and he's likely to be limited to a platoon role at best.
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