Stephen Cardullo

The Rockies have reached a new minor-league contract with outfielder/first baseman Stephen Cardullo, per a club announcement. He had been released recently, even as the sides contemplated a new contract.

The 29-year-old Cardullo is expected to miss several months with a fractured wrist. That, evidently, explains the procedural moves; Cardullo will leave the 40-man roster entirely rather than going on the 60-day DL (for reasons that remain unclear). But he’ll still be able to rehab with the organization in hopes of representing an option when he returns to health.

A long-time independent ball player, Cardullo joined the Rockies organization last year and quickly became a fairly notable part of the team’s plans. He has slashed .308/.371/.516 over 483 plate appearances at Triple-A, though he has struggled in brief action at the MLB level.

The Rockies have released outfielder/first baseman Stephen Cardullo, as Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). But the sides are already in discussions on a new minor-league deal to bring Cardullo back into the fold.

Because Cardullo is out for a few months with a broken wrist, the organization has apparently worked out an arrangement with his reps. It’s not entirely clear why he couldn’t simply have been shifted to the 60-day DL, but clearly it sounds like something is being worked out that will be acceptable for all sides regardless.

Cardullo, 29, made a stunning run to the majors last year with Colorado. He had never played above the Rookie ball level before signing with the organization after a four-year indy ball run. But he excelled at Triple-A and soon found himself playing at the game’s highest level.

Though the Rox obviously like what he brings to the table — and the production has been good at Albuquerque — Cardullo hasn’t yet delivered much in his brief time in the majors. Over 91 total plate appearances over the past two years, he owns only a .190/.253/.321 batting line.