Rockies to hold one-week medical mini-camp

Catcher Wilin Rosario and left-hander Christian Friedrich are among the seven minor leaguers the Colorado Rockies have invited to a medical mini-camp at Coors Field the week of January 17, substituting that event for the longer and larger Winter Development Program typically held in odd years.

The reason for the change is various members of the front office, training and clubhouse staffs will be traveling back and forth to Scottsdale, Ariz., in January getting the Rockies new spring training facility ready at the complex they will share with the Diamondbacks. In 2012, the Rockies again plan to hold their Winter Development program at Coors Field, which lasts three weeks and typically includes about 15-20 prospects who stay with host families in the area.

In addition to Rosario and Friedrich, outfielders Kent Matthes and Brian Rike, catcher William Swanner, first baseman Kiel Roling and pitcher Albert Campos are expected to attend the mini-camp, held for players recovering from injuries.

Rosario, who turns 22 in February, is recovering from a torn right anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that ended his season Aug. 3 at Double-A Tulsa. He hit .285/.342/.552 with 19 homers and 52 RBI in 220 at-bats.

Friedrich, 23, went 3-6 with a 5.05 ERA at Tulsa, where he was limited to 87 1/3 innings in 18 starts by three different injuries. He suffered left elbow inflammation, followed by a left elbow contusion when he was hit with a hard one-hopper and a left lat strain that ended his season Aug. 18.

Campos, a right-hander who turns 20 in February, was healthy throughout a terrific season at Rookie Casper where he went 4-4 with a Pioneer League-leading 2.05 ERA _ he virtually lapped the field, finishing far ahead of the second-place finisher’s 3.30 ERA _ and 17 walks and 68 strikeouts in 88 innings. After the season, Campos was in a car accident. He suffered a broken right hand but did not require surgery or the insertion of any pins.

Swanner, 19, signed late after being taken in the 15th round last year and only played in 18 games at Casper where he showed power and youthful exuberance. He hit .303/.321/.632 with seven homers and 13 RBI in 76 at-bats along with no walks and 33 strikeouts. At the end of the instructional league program, Swanner developed soreness in his right elbow.

Rike, who turned 25 on Monday, was the Rockies second-round pick in 2007. While repeating at high Class A Modesto last season, Rike showed good flashes before dealing with repeated injuries to a hamstring that ended his season Aug. 20 and limited him to 13 games in July and August. He hit .257/.330/.440 with six homers and 42 RBI in 69 games. Strikeouts have been a problem for Rike, including 76 in 241 at-bats last season for a total of 438 in his 1,240 professional at-bats.

Matthes, who turns 23 next month and like Rike is a right fielder, was limited to 21 games last year at low Class A Asheville, the last on June 3, and underwent surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon. He hit .185/.261/.333 with one homer and 11 RBI in 81 at-bats. The Rockies drafted Matthes in the fourth round in 2009.

Roling, who turns 23 next month, jumped from Asheville in 2009 (where he led the South Atlantic League with a .331 average and .593 slugging percentage) to Tulsa last year where he hit .225/.288/.386 with 12 homers and 40 RBI as well as 100 strikeouts in 329 at-bats and was slowed by hamstring and oblique injuries.

The Rockies may invite several other players to their medical mini-camp, including outfielder Cole Garner and pitchers Erik Stavert and Isaiah Froneberger. The latter two would be for general conditioning. Garner. whom the Rockies added to their 40-man roster to prevent him from becoming a minor league free agent after last season, strained a quadriceps while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic and then got very sick. He played just five games for Cibao and went 4-for-12 before returning home to California.