SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- No one really wants to talk about what the Rockies would do should they lose shortstop Trevor Story to injury for an extended period -- not even Garrett Hampson.

“He’s doing a great job,” Hampson said. “He should win a Gold Glove every year in my eyes.”

But Hampson, 25, a shortstop at Long Beach State before the Rockies took him in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft, is trying to show he is the Rockies’ best alternative. Chris Owings and Eric Stamets are non-roster players with plenty of shortstop experience, also.

Hampson, who started in center field in the Rockies' 6-3 win vs. the Angels on Sunday, has played multiple positions in the Majors over the past two seasons. But Hampson works to make sure he can play his natural position if necessary.

“I love playing shortstop,” Hampson said. “Making those plays -- going left or right -- is pretty fun in the game. You practice those every day, but it’s the game reps that really make it count.”

Major League rosters are full of players who were shortstops as amateurs or at the beginning of their Minor League careers. Often, the demands of the position at the highest level usually necessitate a position change.

But Hampson is a shortstop who took up other positions so he can get playing opportunities. Scouts from other teams have said Hampson could be a regular starter in center field for a lot of clubs.

But can the Rockies, who won 71 games last year but expect to bounce back to the form of postseason squads in 2017 and 2018, withstand losing a player of Story’s caliber?

In recent years, the Astros and Dodgers have absorbed losses of shortstops Carlos Correa and Corey Seager, respectively, and made deep postseason runs. Correa played just 109 regular-season games when the Astros won the World Series in 2017.

The Rockies also have Brendan Rodgers, whose return from right labrum surgery is going faster than expected, but Hampson’s presence means there is no early-season panic. Also, the Rockies have seen more of Hampson in the Majors than they’ve seen of Rodgers.

“If you don’t put this player who’s injured on the [injured] list but he’s down for three or four days, do you have that replacement? And if you have a [injured] list or longer, do you have that guy?” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “And if you don’t have that two-week or month replacement, that guy has to be in Triple-A.

“So we feel, in Hampson, he covers both of those.”

Hampson, who struggled offensively after making the Opening Day roster last year but improved in the second half and finished at .247 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs in 105 games, is a picture of versatility. In 129 Major League games over two seasons, he has made 57 appearances at second base, 32 appearances in center and 23 appearances at short.

A heady player with quick feet and good instincts, Hampson realizes he has to be especially sound fundamentally at shortstop, and he devotes pregame time to that important task.

“I just have to keep my feet going,” Hampson said. “It’s a different position, cutting down the angles of certain ground balls, knowing when to charge it, getting your feet under you when you make a throw because it’s a longer throw. The footwork part of shortstop goes a long way, and I’ve got to stay on top of that.

“Going left, you’ve got some momentum toward first. But plays to the right, in the hole, you’ve got to be able to either set your feet and make a strong throw or learn how to throw on the run.”