The Guardians optioned Rocchio to Triple-A Columbus on Friday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
With Jose Ramirez returning from the bereavement list Friday, Rocchio will return to Triple-A to continue his development. The switch-hitting prospect went 2-for-10 at the plate in his first three major-league games and collected his first career RBI on Thursday. If he continues his .338/.396/.486 pace in Columbus, it's very possible Rocchio finds himself back in Cleveland before long, although he might need an injury in the team's infield to get consistent playing time.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Gets first MLB start
Rotowire
Rocchio will start at shortstop and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the White Sox.
With Amed Rosario serving as the Guardians' designated hitter Wednesday, Rocchio will get the chance to pick up his first big-league start. After being called up from Triple-A Columbus when Jose Ramirez (personal) was placed on the bereavement list in a corresponding move, Rocchio came off the bench to make his MLB debut in Tuesday's 8-3 loss, going 1-for-2 with a base hit. Rocchio will likely return to Columbus when Ramirez rejoins the Guardians in the next 2-to-6 days.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Receiving promotion
Rotowire
The Guardians will recall Rocchio from Triple-A Columbus prior to Tuesday's game against the White Sox, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
It's not clear at this point what the corresponding move will be. Rocchio was up with the big club briefly last month but didn't make an appearance. The 22-year-old is batting .338/.396/.487 with one home run and 10 stolen bases at Columbus this season. Rocchio has played both middle-infield spots in 2023 and has some experience at third base, as well. The top prospect would make for an interesting fantasy add if he played regularly, but there wouldn't seem to be a path to that right now.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Call-up official
Rotowire
The Guardians recalled Rocchio from Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday.
Though Rocchio won't be included in the starting nine for Wednesday's series finale in Detroit, he could get the chance to pick up regular work in the middle infield if Amed Rosario (back) isn't ready to return to the lineup during this weekend's series versus Miami. Until more clarity arrives on Rosario's situation, Rocchio shapes up as more of a speculative pickup in most fantasy leagues. The 22-year-old Rocchio, who is Cleveland's top position prospect, was hitting .344 with seven extra-base hits, four stolen bases and an 8:9 BB:K over his 70 plate appearances at Triple-A while splitting time between shortstop and second base.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Promotion on tap
Rotowire
The Guardians are expected to call up Rocchio from Triple-A Columbus prior to Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
Cleveland's top hitting prospect, Rocchio has gotten off to a blazing start at Columbus, slashing .344/.414/.459 with seven extra-base hits (all doubles) and four stolen bases across 70 plate appearances so far this season. The Guardians haven't confirmed his promotion or announced any corresponding moves, but Rocchio is presumably in line to step in as the team's top option at shortstop while Amed Rosario (back) is on the mend from an injury. The extent of Rosario's injury may dictate how long Rocchio sticks with the big club, though if the 22-year-old switch hitter excels in his first exposure to the majors, it's possible he sticks around in Cleveland for a longer period of time than anticipated.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Top prospect sent to minors
Rotowire
Rocchio was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
The top prospect hasn't hit much this spring, but that doesn't dampen a rosy outlook for the 22-year-old. While Rocchio has primarily played shortstop, he is capable at second and third base as well. The Guardians are set at those positions, but he could be a capable fill-in if injuries strike.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Finishes strong in Triple-A
Rotowire
Rocchio put up a .257/.336/.420 line with 18 homers, 14 steals (on 23 attempts) and a 54:102 BB:K over 132 games spread across Double-A and Triple-A this season.
After putting up a .780 OPS in Double-A, Rocchio posted just a .234/.298/.387 batting line for Triple-A Columbus after being promoted in late August. However, he finished strong, going 6-for-21 (.286) with a homer and a 4:3 BB:K over his final six games of 2022. The 21-year-old is an intriguing prospect who has a great chance to grow into an everyday big-league shortstop.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Bumps up to Triple-A
Rotowire
Rocchio was promoted from Double-A Akron to Triple-A Columbus on Saturday.
Rocchio posted a combined slash line of .275/.352/.456 with 19 home runs, 19 stolen bases, 78 RBI and 96 runs scored through 143 games across two seasons at the Double-A level. The 21-year-old will now be one step away from the majors, though he's likely to spend the rest of this season and much of 2023 at Columbus. He earned the promotion by batting .311 in 40 games since the start of July.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Hot bat for last month
Rotowire
Rocchio has hit .380/.432/.658 with five homers, three steals and a 7:9 BB:K over his last 19 games for Double-A Akron.
He was struggling mightily before this recent stretch, as Rocchio's first 48 games of 2022 saw him hit just .205/.308/.313 with a 19.6 percent strikeout rate; he's nearly halved that during this hot streak, striking out at just a 10.1 percent clip. He struggled particularly badly for a while after returning from a concussion, so this could simply be a sign that he's gotten right physically over the last month.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Sent to minors
Rotowire
Rocchio was optioned to minor-league camp Sunday.
Rocchio was added to Cleveland's 40-man roster in November and will now head to the minor-league side of spring training after opening with the big club. The 21-year-old shortstop, who is the Guardians' top prospect, received a promotion to Double-A Arkansas last season and hit .293/.360/.505 with six home runs, 34 runs, 30 RBI and seven stolen bases in 44 games.
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Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Added to 40-man roster
Rotowire
Rocchio was added to Cleveland's 40-man roster Friday.
The best prospect in the organization, Rocchio was a lock to get protected from the Rule 5 draft. He started making good on the Francisco Lindor comparisons by tapping into notable power at Double-A as a 20-year-old, but he may not debut until 2023.
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Indians' Brayan Rocchio: On hot streak in Double-A
Rotowire
Rocchio has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games for Double-A Akron, posting a .315/.373/.611 line with four homers and two steals in that stretch.
The last time we checked in with Rocchio, he was off to a slow start following his promotion to Double-A, but he's almost completely erased those bad memories. The 20-year-old shortstop's batting line with Akron now sits at a solid .262/.347/.488, and if he finishes strong, he'll have a solid case to open 2022 in Triple-A.
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Indians' Brayan Rocchio: Heads up to Double-A
Rotowire
Rocchio was promoted to Double-A Akron on July 30 and has hit .167/.306/.267 across his first eight games there.
He was much more productive in High-A, where Rocchio banged out a .265/.337/.428 batting line with nine homers and 14 steals. The 20-year-old shortstop's talent has earned Francisco Lindor comps, but his stats haven't quite caught up to the hype yet. The good news is that despite his tough start in Double-A, Rocchio has posted a strong 5:7 BB:K. With his speed and a solid hit tool, Rocchio carries noteworthy fantasy intrigue, but Cleveland would do well not to rush him to the big leagues.
