Colton Welker will have to have an operation that will probably keep him out for the remainder of the season. He has been out since late April because of a shoulder problem.
However, the Colorado Rockies are hopeful that he will be able to participate in the Arizona Fall League and it’s possible he joins the Major league club in 2023 as long as he returns to full health by next season.
From Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Welker was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft.
He signed with Colorado after canceling his commitment to the University of Miami. In 51 games while playing for the Grand Junction Rockies in 2016, Welker batted.329 with five home runs and 36 RBIs.
Welker hit.252 with ten home runs and 53 RBIs in 98 games with the Hartford Yard Goats in 2019. He didn’t play in any games since the COVID-19 pandemic caused the postponement of the 2020 minor league season.
Welker was added to the 40-man roster on November 20, 2020. Welker was given an 80-game ban on May 6, 2021, after testing positive for CDMT.
Welker made his MLB debut on September 8, 2021, against the San Francisco Giants, but failed to get a hit in his lone at-bat. On July 6, 2022, he was marked for assignment.
On July 8, 2022, the San Francisco Giants claimed Welker off waivers.