OF Holliday recalled by Rockies, will start Thursday

The Colorado Rockies called up former franchise star Matt Holliday from Triple-A Albuquerque, and he went 0-for-3 Thursday afternoon against the San Diego Padres in his first game with the Rockies since 2008.

Colorado signed Holliday, 38, to a minor league deal at the end of July after he had spent the first several months of this season without a team. He batted fifth and started in left field on Thursday.

"Honestly, it felt sort of normal [being back], but at the same time pretty nostalgic a little bit -- just thinking back 15 years ago, when I did that for the first time," said Holliday. "It was kind of that kid at Christmas last night. Had a hard time sleeping."

Holliday played for the Rockies from 2004-08 and led the franchise to the World Series in 2007. He batted a National League-best .340 with 36 homers and 137 RBIs that season and was runner-up for MVP honors. In five seasons with Colorado, which took him in the seventh round of the 1998 draft, Holliday hit .319 with 128 homers and 483 RBIs across 698 games, earning three All-Star nods.

The Rockies dealt Holliday to Oakland in November of 2008 after the sides couldn't agree on a contract extension, and the A's sent him to the St. Louis Cardinals the following July. He played for the Cardinals from 2009 through 2016, earning four All-Star appearances and winning a World Series title in 2011, before joining the New York Yankees last year.

Holliday hit .231 with 19 homers and 64 RBIs in 105 games for New York. He has batted .345 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 15 games at Albuquerque this year. He will wear No. 7 for Colorado after wearing No. 5 during his first stint with the team.

In a corresponding move, the team optioned infielder Garrett Hampson to Triple-A.

The 23-year-old has gone 6-for-22 (.273) with two RBIs in two stints with the Rockies this year, having made his major league debut on July 21.

--Field Level Media

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