Rookie faces big boys for berth

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.» No question about it, Rockies infield prospect Ryan McMahon has had a solid spring training.

But his performance over the final two weeks of the Cactus League season could determine whether he makes the 25-man roster.

That’s when McMahon will face major-league pitchers on a more consistent basis, providing the Rockies with a more realistic yardstick to measure whether McMahon is ready for a full season with the big club. He might have to “kick the door down” to earn an opening-day spot.

“The next couple of weeks, when you see that teams have narrowed down their pitching a little bit … and the pitching is sort of tightening down a little bit and they are getting ready for the season, those are the type of at-bats you would like to see all of your players be evaluated on,” manager Bud Black said Monday. “That gives you a good gauge, the last couple of weeks, of what you are seeing. Not so much the first couple of weeks — for me.”

The return of all-star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, whose one-year, $8 million deal became official Monday, will mean more playing time at first base for Ian Desmond and probably less playing time for McMahon, who has manned both first and third base this spring. The Rockies, of course, will want McMahon to get consistent atbats, so he could be dropped to Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the season.

That doesn’t mean the Rockies are disappointed in McMahon. Quite the contrary.

“He’s had a good camp, solid,” Black said. “I think at first base he’s looked good, and I think he’s looked very comfortable. This is his third big-league camp. He’s been here. So the comfort level of interacting with the players and being in a big-league camp is not new to him, so he should be comfortable and confident in this environment — the spring training, exhibition season.”

Black added that he’s pleased with how McMahon’s athleticism has transferred to playing first base.

“Moving him to first hasn’t been an issue for him,” Black said. “There have been some real subtle details to first base that we have challenged him with and he’s done a nice job of picking those up and taking those into play everyday.”

McMahon started at first base in Tuesday’s game against the Mariners and went 1-for-3. He is now hitting .354.