The Colorado Rockies announced Friday that second baseman Thairo Estrada has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. In corresponding moves, rookie second baseman Adael Amador was optioned to Triple-A while the team also designated outfielder Nick Martini for assignment and selected the contract of outfielder Sam Hilliard.

Estrada was the most highly touted acquisition for general manager Bill Schmidt in an otherwise lackluster offseason for Colorado. Following the non-tendering of Brendan Rodgers, the Rockies signed the 29-year-old Estrada in the hopes he could help the offense with his contact and speed skills while being a premier glove on the field. Spring training brought forth some hope as he slashed .400/.421/.457 over 14 games in the Cactus League.

Unfortunately, Estrada was hit by a pitch late in camp by Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker, resulting in a fractured wrist after he previously returned from a leg injury a few days prior. He recently returned to action with Triple-A Albuquerque, and during his rehab stint, he hit .304/.333/.348 with a double in five games. He is in the lineup for Game 1 of the series against the New York Mets, batting fourth and playing second base.

The Rockies consistently pointed to the absence of Estrada as a major reason for the team’s historically bad start. While that may be a bit of a stretch, there is no question that second base has not been as productive as the team had planned. Veteran infielder Kyle Farmer, originally signed as a utility piece, saw his playing time increase alongside Amador, who got an increased look after utility men Aaron Schunk and Tyler Freeman landed on the injured list. Production was lackluster as the rotation of second baseman posted a league-worst -1.4 fWAR at second while slashing .162/.248/.235.

Amador struggled most on both sides of the ball, but particularly at the plate. In 33 games, he slashed .146/.240/.225 with one home run and four RBI. His trademark plate discipline in the minors saw some improvement as of late, but he still had 25 strikeouts against 10 walks in 102 plate appearances. The obvious need for more maturity and development led the Rockies to sign veteran infielder Orlando Arcia earlier this week to fill in on the bench.

Martini, on the other hand, also had a spectacular Spring Training with the Rockies, earning an Opening Day roster spot out of camp after signing a minor league deal. In 111 plate appearances over 43 games, Martini slashed .225/.288/.294 while splitting time as the DH and the corner outfield. The production of Jordan Beck and the potential of Mickey Moniak in the outfield left Martini as a bench piece that wasn’t very productive. In a limited role, Martini’s veteran experience isn’t exactly a must-have for the Rockies’ current position, as was the case when the team released reliever Scott Alexander recently. While the bat didn’t come to Colorado with him, Martini has shown plenty of discipline at the plate that could net him some interest from teams in the league.

The return of Sam Hilliard to the big league roster mirrors a similar situation last season. DFA’d late in camp and sent to Triple-A in favor of a newly acquired outfielder, Hilliard found success in Albuquerque prior to returning around June and establishing himself as a reliable bench piece and platoon outfielder. The plan for Hilliard in 2025 was to fill the same role as the fourth outfielder, utilizing his defensive abilities to spell Brenton Doyle in the outfield. However, he had a horrendous time at the plate in March, making it difficult for the Rockies to justify carrying him on the Opening Day roster when other options seemed more viable.

He was removed from the 40-man roster in favor of Moniak and returned to Triple-A, where he continued a career of mashing. In 40 games with the Isotopes, he batted .288/.372/.538 with six home runs. His power at the plate has always made Hilliard an intriguing piece, and he snagged the home run title for professional baseball in Albuquerque, dating back decades.

With all the moves, the Rockies now have a full 40-man roster and there are sure to be more roster changes as the summer gets underway.