Struggling Rockies second baseman Josh Rutledge is about to get a little Triple-A seasoning.

Rutledge was optioned to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on Wednesday evening to make room on the 25-man roster for outfielder/first baseman Michael Cuddyer, who will come off the disabled list Friday. Cuddyer will join the Rockies in San Francisco for their three-game series against the Giants.

The Rutledge move was a bit of a surprise, even though recent call-up DJ LeMahieu has been playing well at second.

LeMahieu started the last two games while Rutledge rode the bench. Rutledge is hitting just .242, though his bat’s improved some in May. He hit just .213 in April and is hitting .286 this month. However, his defense has been streaky of late. He has committed four errors since April 24, and he made a poor throw on a potential double-play ball Monday.

LeMahieu has hit .412 in seven games since his promotion from Triple-A, including a 3-for-4 game with two RBIs on Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks.

Manager Walt Weiss endorsed Rutledge on Tuesday, praising his athleticism, and a tune-up in Triple-A didn’t seem to be on the agenda. Obviously, the Rockies changed their minds.

“His growth is ongoing. He’s done a tremendous job. The challenge of being a young big-league player is not easy,” Weiss said Tuesday. “He’s working hard, and I believe in his athleticism and his ability to make adjustments up here. I have confidence in him.”

Rutledge has never played at the Triple-A level, making the jump from Double-A Tulsa to the Rockies last July.

Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428, psaunders@denverpost.com or twitter.com/psaundersdp