Bernabel (back) was activated from the injured list July 14 and returned to the active roster for Double-A Hartford.
Bernabel had been sidelined for nearly two months with the back issue. He's struggled across his first 141 plate appearances with Hartford, managing just a .635 OPS. However, he's shown decent plate discipline with a 17.7 percent strikeout rate and 6.6 percent walk rate, so it's possible he sees better results moving forward.
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Rockies' Warming Bernabel: Closing in on return to Double-A
Rotowire
Bernabel (back) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on June 28 and has gone 11-for-33 with two home runs and four doubles over eight games.
Bernabel has resided on Double-A Hartford's 7-day injured list since May 26 with a back injury, but he looks like he could be activated shortly after the minor-league All-Star break. Prior to being shut down in late May, Bernabel had posted a .630 OPS over 126 plate appearances with Hartford.
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Rockies' Warming Bernabel: Dealing with back injury
Rotowire
Bernabel (back) has been on the 7-day injured list since May 26.
Bernabel was one of the bigger risers in the Rockies' organization in 2022 and reached High-A Spokane during his age-20 season. He began 2023 with Double-A Hartford and hasn't experienced the same success, maintaining just a .630 OPS across 126 plate appearances. It's unclear how long the injury had affected him prior to landing on the injured list, so he could be in for an improved second half of the season.
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Rockies' Warming Bernabel: Joins 40-man roster
Rotowire
Bernabel's contract was selected by Colorado on Tuesday.
The move means Bernabel won't be available for selection in the Rule 5 draft, though he still has some work to do before he pushes for an active roster spot. The 20-year-old has yet to reach the Double-A level, though he did hit .313/.370/.499 with 14 homers and 23 steals in 91 games last season, split between Single-A and High-A.
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Rockies' Warming Bernabel: Getting it done in High-A
Rotowire
Bernabel is hitting .359/.370/.551 with three homers and two steals through 19 games for High-A Spokane.
So far, he's been even better in High-A than Single-A, but that comes with the caveat of a .397 BABIP at the new level. Bernabel has made contact at an excellent rate at both levels while flashing solid pop and stolen-base ability, making him a solid dynasty add in deeper formats.
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Rockies' Warming Bernabel: Moves up to High-A
Rotowire
Bernabel was promoted to High-A Spokane on Sunday and has gone 2-for-8 with two doubles and an RBI in his first two games there.
This comes on the heels of a terrific .317/.390/.504 batting line with 10 homers, 21 steals and a 29:39 BB:K across 67 games in Single-A. Bernabel was a standout in rookie ball last year, and the 20-year-old has built on that in a big way this season. There's no guarantee that his stolen-base ability will hold up as he progresses through the minors, as scouts have generally considered Bernabel just an average runner, but there's enough pop in his bat to make him an intriguing prospect nonetheless, particularly with the potential of the Coors Field effect.
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Rockies' Warming Bernabel: Showing aggression on basepaths
Rotowire
Bernabel has stolen 17 bases across 250 plate appearances with Single-A Fresno in 2022.
Bernabel's aggression on the basepaths has increased dramatically, as he combined to steal only 12 bases across his first 331 career minor-league plate appearances. It remains to be seen whether he can translate his baserunning ability to the upper levels of the minors, as he has largely been regarded as an average to slightly below-average runner by traditional scouting methods. In addition to his speed, however, Bernabel has also showcased considerable power by slugging six home runs and 19 doubles -- good for a .171 ISO. Bernabel just turned 20 years old, so it will be worth watching his progress as he advances through the Rockies' system.
