The Rockies are turning to Vimael Machin and, in the same breath, likely shelving Willi Castro for the rest of the season.
Machin is being selected to the major league roster before Colorado’s game against the Cardinals, according to the reporting cited in the team update. To make room, the Rockies also had to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. That move ended up being Tyler Freeman, who was outrighted to Triple-A.
Castro’s move is being handled as a 10-day injured list stint, retroactive to September 2, because of left heel inflammation. But the door is open for something longer. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reported that Castro is also dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot and a sore right knee, and with Castro not having played since Monday, a season-ending shutdown would not be a surprise given how little time remains in the regular season.
If this is the end for Castro’s 2026 season, he finishes with a .260/.331/.417 line and a career-high 15 home runs across 477 plate appearances. That production works out to a 95 wRC+ once Coors Field is factored in, along with a .336 BABIP that helped buoy the numbers. Most of his innings came at second base, though he also saw time at all four infield spots and logged a few games in left and center field.
Machin gives Colorado a familiar kind of utility depth. He has played mostly third base over parts of four big league seasons with the Athletics and Orioles from 2020-25, but he has experience at every infield position. The Rockies signed him to a minor league deal over the offseason, and he has spent the year tearing up Triple-A Albuquerque, batting .290/.371/.445 with 12 home runs in 488 plate appearances while waiting for his first MLB action of 2026.
Even with those numbers, there’s a catch. His Triple-A performance has come in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, which leaves him with a 96 wRC+ at that level.
And in the majors, the results have been much quieter: Machin has hit .204/.286/.264 in 373 career plate appearances against big league pitching. With Colorado still deep in another rebuilding season, playing time could be hard to come by, since the club is likely to keep leaning toward younger players as it closes out the year.
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