Rosario impressing with progress, work ethic

MIAMI -- Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario had his 13-game hitting streak snapped on Friday and has yet to collect a hit in the first two games of the series against the Marlins.
 
There's been some speculation that Rosario might end up being groomed to play first base, which is where he played Wednesday night against the Phillies in Philadelphia. However, Rockies manager Walt Weiss thinks that it may be best to keep Rosario behind the plate.
 
"I see him as a catcher," Weiss said. "He's a young catcher and he's got some things to improve on, but the skill set is certainly there. He's a great athlete. With the things he can do offensively, for a catcher, he can be one of the elite players in the game."
 
Rosario, who was not in the starting lineup for the Rockies' final game Sunday against the Marlins, has certainly done his job at the plate this season. He entered Sunday with a .281 batting average and .485 slugging percentage with 20 homers and 70 RBIs. He's also made strides sitting behind the dish.
 
"I wasn't around last year, so I didn't get to see him up-close every day, but I saw enough of him," Weiss said. "He's come a long way. He was thrust into a tough position last year, skipping Triple-A, coming up here from Double-A with a very young staff. It was a tough assignment, but he's certainly made a lot of improvement this year."
 
Rex Brothers, who again has assumed the role of closer with Rafael Betancourt's recent trip to the disabled list, has nothing but praise for the way Rosario has progressed.
 
"His work ethic is second to none," Brothers said. "He takes a lot of pride in his game, which is why I think he's going to be playing for a long time. It's fun to watch a guy put that much work in and start reaping the benefits. It's good to see those results."
 
Reliever Matt Belisle has noticed, too, especially Rosario's defense.
 
"The offense was always there," Belisle said. "He's taken pride in improving his defense this year."