CHICAGO — Peter Lambert, Colorado’s top pitching prospect, is headed to the big leagues.

The Rockies will call up the right-hander from Triple-A Albuquerque to make his debut in the series finale against the Cubs here Thursday. Lambert arrived at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, on the club’s taxi squad a day before being officially activated to the 25-man roster.

“I was at the hotel yesterday (in Omaha) and my pitching coach called me and said, ‘Pack up all your stuff and meet me in the lobby,'” Lambert said. “When I got there, he told me I’d be pitching at Wrigley on Thursday.”

Lambert, 22, is 2-2 with a 5.07 ERA in 11 starts for the Isotopes this season. He’ll be the second highly anticipated prospect to debut for Colorado over the last month, following infielder Brendan Rodgers’ call-up on May 17 in Philadelphia.

The right-hander said he has tried his best to tune out the hype and just pitch, especially over the last several weeks as there has been increased chatter of his potential call-up.

“I was anticipating this, but I’ve still been trying to go about my day-by-day (business),” said Lambert, who will wear No. 23. “I tried not to think about the prospect rankings as much as I could because that’s only a distraction that can hurt me. I’ve just been out there playing.”

Despite an inflated ERA with Albuquerque, Lambert has dazzled on several occasions this year, most notably seven-inning gems May 8 and 24 in which he surrendered one and no runs, respectively. He earned a late-season promotion to Triple-A from Double-A Hartford in 2018, and was assigned to the Isotopes again after a solid showing at spring training where he impressed veteran catcher Chris Iannetta.

“From the side, he looks like a very good pitcher, but when you actually catch him you realize how good he is,” Iannetta said. “The fastball’s explosive, he’s got a plus-changeup and the other secondary pitches are coming along.”

Lambert’s call-up is hastened by troubles in the Colorado rotation; Tyler Anderson has been out since May 4 and is facing knee surgery, while opening-day starter Kyle Freeland pitched so poorly that he got demoted to Triple-A on May 31.

With Lambert starting Thursday and Antonio Senzatela taking the hill Friday against the Mets, Jon Gray’s start is pushed back to Saturday in New York while the club gives him another day to recuperate from hot-spot issues that have nagged his middle finger as of late.

“The guys are fired up for Peter, because he’s been in big-league camp with us now for a couple years and he’s played with a lot of our guys in the minors,” manager Bud Black said. “This is another step in the progression of what’s hopefully a long career.”

Colorado selected Lambert in the second round of the 2015 draft with the No. 44 overall pick out of San Dimas High School in California. A command pitcher with a 3.92 career ERA in the minors, he’ll have 10 to 15 family members and friends on hand Thursday when he will become the third-youngest in franchise history to make his debut as a starting pitcher.

Expect the right-hander to stick to his usual game plan against a dangerous Cubs lineup.

“I’ve never really been an overpowering guy,” Lambert said. “My game is to go out there, locate and keep the hitters off-balance.”

The rookie will take the mound with the full confidence of the clubhouse behind him, even as Lambert steps up to the tall task of helping prop up the back of the Colorado rotation as playoff implications begin to heighten.

“He’s young and it’s his first start, so there’s going to be a learning curve,” Iannetta said. “How long that is, or whether he hits the ground running, you never know. But first and foremost I’m happy for him, because he has all the tools to succeed at this level. Now, it’s a matter of going out and doing it.”

Wade Davis’ live session. Still working his way back from a left oblique strain that’s sidelined him since May 19, the Rockies’ closer threw an extended live session prior to Wednesday’s game in Chicago. Black said Davis felt good, and that “there was no hesitation (in the windup) with the oblique, so he feels very confident in where he is, as do we … We’re going to come to a decision on him sometime in the next day or two to figure out a course of action, whether to activate him or if he needs an inning or two in the minors.”

Charlie Blackmon in Triple-A. The outfielder has been on the injured list with a right calf strain since May 24, but is in the final stages of his rehabilitation and will likely be activated for the series against the Mets that starts Friday. For now, Blackmon is spending Wednesday and Thursday night with the Isotopes in Omaha, where Black said the 32-year-old “wanted to play, get some at-bats and test his calf in competition.”

On Deck

Rockies RHP Peter Lambert (0-0, 0.00 ERA) at Cubs LHP Jose Quintana (4-4, 3.78)

12:20 p.m., Thursday, Wrigley Field

TV: AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM

In his big-league debut, Colorado fans finally get to see what all the hype is all about for the top pitching prospect in the organization after Lambert accelerated quickly through the upper minors. His nerves will likely be tested early and often against a Cubs lineup featuring a handful of hitters who feast at Wrigley Field against right-handed pitching. Specifically, Javier Baez is hitting an MLB-best .340 against righties at home this season, while teammate Anthony Rizzo is behind him at .333 — and they have six homers apiece. Meanwhile, the veteran Quintana hasn’t had a quality start since May 21, and Nolan Arenado has two homers in nine career at-bats against him. The southpaw has performed much better at home (2.84 ERA) than on the road (5.02).

Trending: Two of the new regulars in the Colorado outfield this season, David Dahl and Raimel Tapia, have certainly had their big-league growing pains defensively. But both players rank in the top quarter of all MLB outfielders in outs above average, a sabermetric that’s a range-based metric of fielder skill. That shows promise for the speedy duo’s continued growth into potential plus-defenders.

At Issue: As a 6-3 loss to the Cubs in Tuesday’s series opener cooled off Colorado following a 9-1 homestand, the Rockies continue to tread water on the road. The Rockies’ 13 wins away from Coors Field are tied for the second-fewest in the National League, and a .227 team batting average on the road (also second-worst in the N.L.) isn’t helping matters.

Upcoming pitching matchups

Friday: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (5-4, 4.11) at New York RHP Jacob deGrom (3-5, 3.49), 5:10 p.m., ATTRM

Saturday: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (4-4, 5.33) at New York RHP Noah Syndergaard (3-4, 4.83), 5:15 p.m., FOX