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To hear 22-year-old Warming Bernabel talk about it, you鈥檇 think it was a skinned knee.

It鈥檚 just that when he was shot 鈥� yes, just shot 鈥� in the back during a mugging attempt in his native Dominican Republic a mere 16 months ago, the bullet went in one side of his back, narrowly missing his spinal cord and organs, and exited through the other side before hitting his wife in the biceps, causing minor damage to both.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 too bad,鈥� Bernabel, the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Isotopes infielder who hit a pair of home runs and drove in three runs in Thursday鈥檚 11-8 win over the visiting El Paso Chihuahuas, said through a translator. 鈥淚 was back working out in two weeks.鈥�

None of that is to suggest his life didn鈥檛 change dramatically on that December day in 2023. Quite the contrary. It just didn鈥檛 have the long term physical effects you might assume would be the result of, you know, having a bullet fly through your body.

As he explained in previous published reports, three men assaulted Bernable and his wife as they were walking to a restaurant in his hometown of Bani, trying to steal a gold chain from his neck. The store鈥檚 owner fired a gun, scaring the attackers off, but in their retreat, one shot a gun back, striking Bernabel.

The end of a promising baseball career, or worse, could have been how the night went. Instead, it has become something that鈥檚 made Bernabel more appreciative of his opportunity to play baseball for a living and continue his journey toward the major leagues, especially in the Colorado Rockies organization.

鈥淲hen that happened, it got me closer to my family,鈥� Bernabel said. 鈥淚t got me to a point where I needed to start working harder because there鈥檚 a purpose for me in life 鈥� to help my family.鈥�

Fast forward 16 months from that day in Bani and one of the three attackers has been arrested, but not the other two. In terms of baseball, Bernabel is still on the road back in some respects.

Already in his sixth professional season at just 22-years-old, his stock has risen, fallen and is rising again (it seems) within the organization.

After tearing through 91 Single-A games (split between Single-A Fresno and High-A Spokane) in 2022, hitting .313 with 14 home runs and 71 RBIs, he climbed to No. 8 on MLB Pipeline鈥檚 Colorado Rockies prospects rankings.

Then he hit just .236 in 2023, primarily with Double-A Hartford. But last year, Bernabel saw his numbers, and big league prospects, start to rise again in Hartford.

This year, opening the season with the Triple-A Isotopes, Bernable has split time between first base and third base, his natural position.

After Thursday鈥檚 2-for-4, two home run, one walk, three RBI, three runs scored day at the plate, he鈥檚 now hitting .283 in his first season at Triple-A with four home runs and eight RBI.

He says this season鈥檚 success started in the offseason when he dropped 20 pounds and feels like he鈥檚 in the best shape of his life. More recently, though, is when things have really been clicking. He has seven hits, two walks and just one strikeout in his past four games.

鈥淚鈥檝e felt really good since we got home (from last week鈥檚 series at Sugar Land),鈥� Bernabel said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been coming out every day, like around 12:30, 1 o鈥檆lock, just to work on my hitting and making sure that I stay ready. I feel like I鈥檓 in a good place right now.鈥�

That doesn鈥檛 mean he鈥檚 putting any pressure or timetable on when he expects to get a Big League call. But it does mean he鈥檚 happy with the progress he鈥檚 making on that journey.

And he鈥檚 not the only one.

鈥淗e needs to keep on working the things that he鈥檚 been working on, but I agree that I think he鈥檚 in a good place right now,鈥� said third-year Isotopes manager Pedro Lopez, who also serves as a fantastic pinch-hit translator.

鈥�... The main thing right now is just keep him healthy, make sure that he keeps having quality at-bats and making great plays on the field. If he does those things, the sky鈥檚 the limit.鈥�

MOON SAFE, CONCERT OFF: Saturday鈥檚 pregame concert planned at Isotopes Park with Keith Sanchez and the Moon Thieves has been postponed due to bad weather in the forecast.

A makeup date has not yet been scheduled.

Saturday鈥檚 game is still scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with gates opening at 5 p.m. and the first 1,500 fans receiving a specially-designed Duke City Flag as part of the season-long, multi-event 鈥淐ity Roots鈥� series of games.

The postgame firework show is also still scheduled, weather permitting.