Oh great the Homestros are back, not scoring runs, as usual. Houston lost to the A'izona D'am'nd'acks 4-2 thanks in part to Jon Jay's weird-ass triple. Oakland beat Tampa in extra innings, so the Astros' lead is back to 2.5 games. Houston is 92-55. There are 15 regular season games remaining.
Astros on the road: 52-22
Astros at MMP: 40-33
Astros offense, road: .266/.336/.454, 5.45 runs/game, .302 BABIP
Astros offense, home: .244/.322/.401, 4.42 runs/game, .278 BABIP
Houston is 8-12 at home since the All-Star Break, but now 5-1 in their last six games at Minute Maid Park. It's their 35th time to be held to five or fewer hits, 20th at home.
*Houston drew six walks for the 22nd time this season. They're now 16-6 when they draw 6+ walks.
*The Astros went 1x9 w/RISP, Gurriel getting the lone hit. Hinch:
It was frustrating. We didn't do a ton between the first inning and the sixth inning, offensively. Ray settled in and flashed his good stuff. We did get a couple of opportunities but just couldn't break through with the big hit.
*Carlos Correa was 1x3 with a walk. It's his third straight game with a walk. He's had one extra-base hit in his last 75 plate appearances. Correa:
Going out there is no fun when you're not playing the way you expected to be playing. But at the same time, I'm putting in the work and putting in the time for me to fix this and I can't get frustrated or quit. I just have to keep grinding and try to figure it out.
It's remarkable that the Astros are still on pace for a 100-win season after the following slumps:
Springer: A 44-game stretch in which he hit .173/.204/.302 (June 15-August 18)
Correa: A 30-game stretch in which he's hitting .168/.256/.215 (August 10-present)
*Alex Bregman extended his on-base streak to 40 games.
*Dallas Keuchel was a little off: 6IP, 5H/2ER, 5K:4BB. He had not had a 4BB start since April 10. Keuchel:
I was making pitches left and right and making the defense play. We got a couple of bad breaks in the eighth.
*Hector Rondon, Sept 7-14: 4IP, 10H/3ER, 6K:0BB.
*As if the loss wasn't enough, George Springer was taken out of the game after making a diving catch. Hinch:
/george is day-to-day. He could possibly be in the lineup Saturday. When he dove for Pollock's ball, he banged his shoulder like he's done before. We didn't want to take a chance.
*Brad Peacock is cleared to resume baseball activities after coming down with Hand Foot & Mouth disease, which he got from his 1-year old son. Peacock:
I feel great, I feel good now. I have the last couple of days. I just had a couple of blisters on my hand, feet, face. It wasn't too fun.
Ew.
*Richard Justice: Bregman's psychological need to improve is paying off.
*FanGraphs projects the Astros winning the division by four games. As does FiveThirtyEight. As does Baseball Prospectus.
*Joe Smith credits David Wright for his career.
*Today in 1971 Larry Yount warmed up on the mound at the Astrodome to make his MLB debut, injured his shoulder, was removed from the game, and never made it back to the majors. I wrote this a couple of years ago about it.
*Oakland is 29-12 in one-run games. Houston is 21-24.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Shoulder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shoulder. Show all posts
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Thursday Morning Hot Links
*Random 2017 Astros fact:
Jose Altuve, Games with 2+ hits: 59
Jose Altuve, Games with 0 hits: 35
*Justin Verlander got 5th place in the AL Cy Young voting.
*Richard Justice takes a look the MVP races in both leagues. Brian McTaggart writes that Altuve is a worthy MVP choice. The MVP will be revealed at 5pm on MLB Network today. While I feel good about Altuve's chances I'm still nervous that Aaron Judge is going to win because HOMERZ and NOO YORK. I don't know why this matters to me (*actively tries not to apply that last thought to everything about the Houston Astros*).
(American League MVP candidate Aaron Judge)
*Jeff Luhnow still thinks Derek Fisher is ready for left field, but didn't rule out filling that hole in free agency. But Kyle Tucker is coming, so it would be a stop-gap free agent, if necessary.
*Monday is the deadline to put eligible minor-leaguers on the 40-Man Roster in order to protect them from next month's Rule 5 draft. It's been about three years since I've gotten jazzed up about the Rule 5 draft, mainly because the Astros aren't in a position to need to find the next Johan Santana in order to not lose 100 games. Still, guys like Ramon Laureano, Jon Kemmer, and Dean Deetz will either be placed on the 40-Man or run the possibility of getting Delino DeShields'd. Jake Kaplan runs down the decision on Laureano.
*Before you get all steamed up about Jon Heyman's report that the Astros are showing interest in Jonathan Lucroy, please remember all those Inside Baseball columns where his only notes on the Astros were obvious stat cherry-picking from Baseball-Reference or "Huh, Alex Bregman seems pretty good" lines.
*Holdt up. Jim Crane on the possibility of Giancarlo Stanton coming to Houston:
Don't think we haven't thought about how easily the ball would go out in our ballpark...No one thought we'd take on Verlander and we got that one done by the skin of our teeth. There are only four or five teams that can take on that kind of contract at this time and we are one of them.
*Texas Monthly: What Carlos Beltran means to Houstonians.
*Here's an interesting article with a whole bunch of, like, science, and stuff: How the Astros used a new shoulder test to monitor fatigue.
A strength assessment for the shoulder rooted in judo, devised by a soccer physic, tested in rugby and administered with a tool associated with the lower body has been adapted for baseball and used this past season by the World Series champion Houston Astros organization.
My favorite part of this story is this line: "Astros Sport Scientist Jose Fernandez declined comment when contacted by SportTechie, citing club policy."
*MLB will premiere an Astros World Series documentary at UH's Cullen Hall on November 21. Tickets are $25.
*The Twins voided a $3m contract with 16-year old Jelfry Marte, one of the top international prospects coming into this signing period. But please keep bringing up Brady Aiken.
*Grampa Pete is at it again:
Jose Altuve, Games with 2+ hits: 59
Jose Altuve, Games with 0 hits: 35
*Justin Verlander got 5th place in the AL Cy Young voting.
*Richard Justice takes a look the MVP races in both leagues. Brian McTaggart writes that Altuve is a worthy MVP choice. The MVP will be revealed at 5pm on MLB Network today. While I feel good about Altuve's chances I'm still nervous that Aaron Judge is going to win because HOMERZ and NOO YORK. I don't know why this matters to me (*actively tries not to apply that last thought to everything about the Houston Astros*).
(American League MVP candidate Aaron Judge)
*Jeff Luhnow still thinks Derek Fisher is ready for left field, but didn't rule out filling that hole in free agency. But Kyle Tucker is coming, so it would be a stop-gap free agent, if necessary.
*Monday is the deadline to put eligible minor-leaguers on the 40-Man Roster in order to protect them from next month's Rule 5 draft. It's been about three years since I've gotten jazzed up about the Rule 5 draft, mainly because the Astros aren't in a position to need to find the next Johan Santana in order to not lose 100 games. Still, guys like Ramon Laureano, Jon Kemmer, and Dean Deetz will either be placed on the 40-Man or run the possibility of getting Delino DeShields'd. Jake Kaplan runs down the decision on Laureano.
*Before you get all steamed up about Jon Heyman's report that the Astros are showing interest in Jonathan Lucroy, please remember all those Inside Baseball columns where his only notes on the Astros were obvious stat cherry-picking from Baseball-Reference or "Huh, Alex Bregman seems pretty good" lines.
*Holdt up. Jim Crane on the possibility of Giancarlo Stanton coming to Houston:
Don't think we haven't thought about how easily the ball would go out in our ballpark...No one thought we'd take on Verlander and we got that one done by the skin of our teeth. There are only four or five teams that can take on that kind of contract at this time and we are one of them.
*Texas Monthly: What Carlos Beltran means to Houstonians.
*Here's an interesting article with a whole bunch of, like, science, and stuff: How the Astros used a new shoulder test to monitor fatigue.
A strength assessment for the shoulder rooted in judo, devised by a soccer physic, tested in rugby and administered with a tool associated with the lower body has been adapted for baseball and used this past season by the World Series champion Houston Astros organization.
My favorite part of this story is this line: "Astros Sport Scientist Jose Fernandez declined comment when contacted by SportTechie, citing club policy."
*MLB will premiere an Astros World Series documentary at UH's Cullen Hall on November 21. Tickets are $25.
*The Twins voided a $3m contract with 16-year old Jelfry Marte, one of the top international prospects coming into this signing period. But please keep bringing up Brady Aiken.
*Grampa Pete is at it again:
Record:Curt Schilling has more Cy Young runner-up finishes, 3, than anyone who never got the award. In 2001-2-4, behind Randy Johnson and Johan Santana, Schilling was 656-19, 3.15, 832-107 K-BB— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) November 16, 2017
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Saturday Morning Hot Links
*Anyone who was concerned that four days off would lead to a slowdown on offense was quickly reassured as the Astros scored eight runs in the 2nd. Astros beat Brian Dozier 10-4, and the rest of the Twins 10-1. The Astros are 4-0 against Minnesota this year, outscoring them 50-21.
*Hinch,
That inning just continued to go, and it's one of the things I love the most about our team. We just keep coming at you...When we put at-bats like that together in a row, we're pretty dangerous.
The 2nd inning:
McCann struck out
Beltran walked
Gurriel grounded into fielder's choice, Beltran safe on error
Gonzalez single
Bregman double
Springer infield single
Altuve walked
Reddick sac fly
Correa single
McCann three-run homer
Beltran double
Gurriel grounded to short
*Charlie Morton threw 5IP, 3H/5R (4ER), 10K:5BB. The five walks tie a career-high for Morton. 68 of his 108 pitches were for strikes. Morton, on his outing:
It was kind of a weird outing because I felt like my stuff was good. I made a bunch of good pitches, but at the same time, there were some pitches right there that weren't executed.
*Michael Feliz came in to pitch the 6th and it took him 25 pitches to get two outs and load the bases. Chris Devenski got out of the jam and threw another inning in relief. Gregerson walked two batters in the 8th, giving the Astros pitchers a season-high nine walks on the night. The Twins were 1x13 w/RISP. Why did Hinch go to Devenski?
[The game] was slowly starting to deteriorate, and they had a lot of baserunners. It just wasn't worth not going to our [best] guys.
*Astros pitchers have walked 5+ batters 20 times this season. They're 12-8 in those games.
*Jose Altuve was 2x4 with a walk, breaking his streak of 3+ hit games at five, one shy of tying the MLB record. Altuve:
We won the game. I got two hits, I helped my team, and this is what it's all about. It's good to have personal records, but it's better to have records as a team.
*Marwin Gonzalez was 3x5 with a home run and two RBI. He's hitting .314/.395/.590.
*The Astros are 61-29 and are 32 games over .500 for the first time since the last day of the 1999 season. Everyone in the AL West won except the Angels, so the Astros have a 16.5-game lead over the Rangers. There are 72 games left. If the Astros go 36-36, the Rangers would have to go 54-19 to win the division.
*Marwin didn't watch the All-Star Game.
*Will Harris was placed on the 10-Day DL with right shoulder inflammation, dated back to Tuesday. MRIs came back clean, and Harris isn't worried:
I've been treating it pretty aggressively the past week or so. It just didn't get to where we were comfortable with it. We'll take a few days and see how I respond to some rest and keep getting the treatment I've been getting. It shouldn't be a lengthy period of time.
*Hinch is expecting Dallas Keuchel to make multiple rehab starts:
It's impossible to know what competition will feel like for him. As a baseball person I would expect it to be multiple (rehab starts), but you never count anything out when it comes to the players.
*The plan for Collin McHugh is to throw his final rehab start in Corpus tomorrow (Sunday) and then rejoin the team next weekend.
*The Astros and Tigers talked this past off-season about Justin Wilson, obviously couldn't work it out, but Houston may be re-engaging on him, says Ken Rosenthal.
*Alex Bregman responded to Flees-gate:
I maybe said some stuff I shouldn't have, but you live and you learn and I'm ready to play baseball in the second half. I'm excited.
Hinch indicated that he was dealt with by the Astros veterans.
*Root Sports SW is now AT&T Sportsbet Southwest. Such a soothing, roll-off-the-tongue branding. (UPDATE: I know there's a typo here. I'm not changing it.)
*2nd Round pick Corbin Martin made his professional debut for the GCL Astros yesterday and threw 2IP, 0H/0ER, 5K:0BB.
*22nd-Round pick Patrick Mathis hit a grand slam for his first professional home run in an 11-0 win over Bluefield. Starting pitcher Leovanny Rodriguez threw 4IP, 2H/0ER, 8K:1BB.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
*Mike Fiers threw very well - he didn't give up a home run in a start for the first time all season (last night was his 10th start of the year). Fiers, 1st inning: 3H/2ER, 1K:2BB, WP. Fiers, 2nd-6th innings: 2H/0ER, 7K:1BB. Astros win 7-2.
*A.J. Hinch:
It was a great performance by Fiers. He came into the game having been told he's out of the rotation. He gets back in the rotation and comes out and puts up a performance like that. He controlled the first inning, which was key, and really dialed it in from then on to the end of his outing. Really proud of him.
*The Astros have 21 wins in May. It's the fifth time in franchise history they've had at least 21 wins, and a win today would tie the franchise record of 22 (twice). These 21 May wins are equal to or greater than the total number of wins for the Marlins, Phillies, and Padres.
*On this six-game winning streak, the Astros have 71 hits.
*Jose Altuve was 4x5 with 2RBI. While he's hitting .320/.383/.510 in 2017, his home/road splits are striking:
Home: .237/.278/.364
Road: .439/.521/.720
Altuve:
I realize that I'm playing better on the road. I don't know why, but I think it's just coincidence. It's not a reason why I'm doing that. I'm just trying to be the same player...and help my team.
*Josh Reddick, who drew five walks in all of April, drew three walks last night. It's the 2nd time this season he's had a 3BB game (May 4 vs. Arlington), and the 4th time in his 835-game career.
*Alex Bregman batted 9th for the third time in his career and went 2x3 with a home run and 2RBI.
*Joe Musgrove was placed on the DL with a sore shoulder. Given that it's retroactive to Saturday, it's possible he only misses his start today. David Paulino will start today against the Twins, instead. Musgrove:
For now, we expect to make that start. It doesn't feel like anything too serious. But it's enough to where I can't throw comfortably and I can't go through a normal delivery.
25 minutes ago the rotation was Keuchel/McCullers/Morton/Musgrove/Fiers. Now it's Keuchel/McCullers/Fiers/Paulino/Peacock. Life comes at you fast.
*FanGraphs: The Mostly-Legit Marwin Gonzalez
*Lefty reliever Reymin Guduan was promoted to Houston from Fresno and will join the bullpen.
*Kyle Tucker and Jason Martin were promoted from Buies Creek to Double-A Corpus Christi yesterday. Tucker was hitting .288/.379/.554 as a 20-year old in High-A. AC Favorite Dean Deetz and Alejandro Garcia were promoted to Fresno.
*Houston Press: Don't celebrate anything yet
*The preservation/revitalization of the Astrodome can move forward.
*Read this article from the New Yorker about Kip Litton: Marathon Man
*A.J. Hinch:
It was a great performance by Fiers. He came into the game having been told he's out of the rotation. He gets back in the rotation and comes out and puts up a performance like that. He controlled the first inning, which was key, and really dialed it in from then on to the end of his outing. Really proud of him.
*The Astros have 21 wins in May. It's the fifth time in franchise history they've had at least 21 wins, and a win today would tie the franchise record of 22 (twice). These 21 May wins are equal to or greater than the total number of wins for the Marlins, Phillies, and Padres.
*On this six-game winning streak, the Astros have 71 hits.
*Jose Altuve was 4x5 with 2RBI. While he's hitting .320/.383/.510 in 2017, his home/road splits are striking:
Home: .237/.278/.364
Road: .439/.521/.720
Altuve:
I realize that I'm playing better on the road. I don't know why, but I think it's just coincidence. It's not a reason why I'm doing that. I'm just trying to be the same player...and help my team.
*Josh Reddick, who drew five walks in all of April, drew three walks last night. It's the 2nd time this season he's had a 3BB game (May 4 vs. Arlington), and the 4th time in his 835-game career.
*Alex Bregman batted 9th for the third time in his career and went 2x3 with a home run and 2RBI.
*Joe Musgrove was placed on the DL with a sore shoulder. Given that it's retroactive to Saturday, it's possible he only misses his start today. David Paulino will start today against the Twins, instead. Musgrove:
For now, we expect to make that start. It doesn't feel like anything too serious. But it's enough to where I can't throw comfortably and I can't go through a normal delivery.
25 minutes ago the rotation was Keuchel/McCullers/Morton/Musgrove/Fiers. Now it's Keuchel/McCullers/Fiers/Paulino/Peacock. Life comes at you fast.
*FanGraphs: The Mostly-Legit Marwin Gonzalez
*Lefty reliever Reymin Guduan was promoted to Houston from Fresno and will join the bullpen.
*Kyle Tucker and Jason Martin were promoted from Buies Creek to Double-A Corpus Christi yesterday. Tucker was hitting .288/.379/.554 as a 20-year old in High-A. AC Favorite Dean Deetz and Alejandro Garcia were promoted to Fresno.
*Houston Press: Don't celebrate anything yet
*The preservation/revitalization of the Astrodome can move forward.
*Read this article from the New Yorker about Kip Litton: Marathon Man
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Thursday Morning Hot Links
It's the first full Spring Training edition of 2017!
*A.J. Hinch's Spring Training plan is designed to make players tired and sore.
*Hinch is excited about the balance of the 2017 Astros.
*Dallas Keuchel's shoulder didn't feel right the entire season. Keuchel:
From the get-go, coming into spring training, it wasn't right. But I was telling myself I could push through this and get through it. That wasn't the case. I actually hurt the team more than helped out.
Hinch, on Keuchel's struggles:
He took it on the chin a few times, but he also pitched a couple of good games, as well. He didn't have an entirely wasted season...I think he learned a lot about himself.
*Lance McCullers is working on a more compact throwing motion.
*Collin McHugh doesn't have any beef with the Astros after going through - and winning - the arbitration process.
*Day 1 and here's an eyebrow being raised: Evan Gattis received an anti-inflammation shot in his shoulder. Gattis:
It's just been a little sore, a little more sore than usual. So we just kind of nipped it in the bud, especially with a lot of volume coming up. I'm not too worried about it.
WE'LL BE THE JUDGE OF THAT, EVAN GATTIS.
*The Astros are extending protective netting all the way through the dugouts on both sides of the field. Corpus Christi is doing the same thing at Whataburger Field.
As someone who has an irrational fear of getting hit in the face with a foul ball, I applaud this decision.
*Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the new Spring Training facility
*John Sickels' Top 200 Prospects List features nine Astros, headlined by Francis Martes at #29, with six in the top 100.
*Former Astros prospect L.J. Hoes was suspended 50 games without pay for a second violation of a drug of abuse.
*Money may not be the only reason the Rangers let Yu Darvish walk after 2017.
*Late Tigers owner Mike Ilitch paid Rosa Parks' rent for years.
*Football hooligans in Russia are trained, organized, and violent.
*A.J. Hinch's Spring Training plan is designed to make players tired and sore.
*Hinch is excited about the balance of the 2017 Astros.
*Dallas Keuchel's shoulder didn't feel right the entire season. Keuchel:
From the get-go, coming into spring training, it wasn't right. But I was telling myself I could push through this and get through it. That wasn't the case. I actually hurt the team more than helped out.
Hinch, on Keuchel's struggles:
He took it on the chin a few times, but he also pitched a couple of good games, as well. He didn't have an entirely wasted season...I think he learned a lot about himself.
*Lance McCullers is working on a more compact throwing motion.
*Collin McHugh doesn't have any beef with the Astros after going through - and winning - the arbitration process.
*Day 1 and here's an eyebrow being raised: Evan Gattis received an anti-inflammation shot in his shoulder. Gattis:
It's just been a little sore, a little more sore than usual. So we just kind of nipped it in the bud, especially with a lot of volume coming up. I'm not too worried about it.
WE'LL BE THE JUDGE OF THAT, EVAN GATTIS.
*The Astros are extending protective netting all the way through the dugouts on both sides of the field. Corpus Christi is doing the same thing at Whataburger Field.
As someone who has an irrational fear of getting hit in the face with a foul ball, I applaud this decision.
*Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the new Spring Training facility
*John Sickels' Top 200 Prospects List features nine Astros, headlined by Francis Martes at #29, with six in the top 100.
*Former Astros prospect L.J. Hoes was suspended 50 games without pay for a second violation of a drug of abuse.
*Money may not be the only reason the Rangers let Yu Darvish walk after 2017.
*Late Tigers owner Mike Ilitch paid Rosa Parks' rent for years.
*Football hooligans in Russia are trained, organized, and violent.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Thursday Morning Hot Links
The Astros managed to hold on despite the best efforts of umpire Clint Fagan to sweep the A's 6-5. Evan Gattis homered twice to become the first Astro with 30 home runs in a season since Chris Carter in 2014. In fact, here is a complete list of Astros to hit 30+ homers since 2007:
1. Chris Carter, 2014
2. Evan Gattis, 2016
Gattis:
Just trying to finish strong...You don't want to limp out of the season. You kind of want to sprint, you know?
*Hinch, on the win:
We're really taking this one game at a time, which is the worst cliche you can use at this time of year, but it's the reality of how we show up every day....We know if we win, good things can happen to us.
Here's how the Wild Card race looks now:
Toronto: 83-69 (+1)
Baltimore: 82-70 (-)
Detroit: 80-70 (-1)
Houston: 81-71 (-1)
*FanGraphs has the Astros' odds at 28%. FiveThirtyEight has it at 36%. This is remarkable
*Worth noting that George Springer - who has admittedly had a down year - is really struggling in the 2nd half:
1st Half: .262/.359/.473, 19HR, .302 BABIP
2nd Half: .234/.346/.415, 9HR, .306 BABIP
August: .246/.360/.412
September: .200/.326/.373
But that was a pretty sweet slide to score a run yesterday.
*Colby Rasmus had a remarkable interview yesterday with the Chronicle on why he's not playing as much down the stretch. Rasmus:
I just haven't been feeling like myself out there on the field, so I just felt that it may be better for somebody else to get in there. (Tony Kemp) got in there and did something cool. Just taking a little breather...I just don't feel that I can get out there and do as good a job as somebody else. So I don't think that it's fair for them or fair for the team for me to try to just get out there if I'm not feeling like I can get the job done.
I've never heard anything like this from a player before. This goes to the very heart of something I've wrestled with: if you're struggling, is it more admirable to try to play through it - hurting your team in the process - or do you have an obligation to take the field every time you're called upon, regardless of how it turns out.
*MLB overturned one of the error calls on Altuve last week, to give him 203 hits on the season.
*FanGraphs: The Astros gave the Rangers a quality outfielder named Carlos Gomez. Pro tip: Don't read this.
*Hardball Times: Jose Altuve and the quest for .400.
*Preston Tucker had surgery on his shoulder blade, ending a season of pain. Hinch:
It bothered him a little bit in the Minor Leagues before he got called back up, and he was able to tolerate it as long as he didn't swing and miss or have an awkward swing.
Oh, okay. Tucker should be ready for Spring Training.
*David Paulino has been added to the Arizona Fall League roster.
*Happy birthday, Carlos Correa and Larry Dierker:
*An oral history of Vin Scully.
1. Chris Carter, 2014
2. Evan Gattis, 2016
Gattis:
Just trying to finish strong...You don't want to limp out of the season. You kind of want to sprint, you know?
*Hinch, on the win:
We're really taking this one game at a time, which is the worst cliche you can use at this time of year, but it's the reality of how we show up every day....We know if we win, good things can happen to us.
Here's how the Wild Card race looks now:
Toronto: 83-69 (+1)
Baltimore: 82-70 (-)
Detroit: 80-70 (-1)
Houston: 81-71 (-1)
*FanGraphs has the Astros' odds at 28%. FiveThirtyEight has it at 36%. This is remarkable
*Worth noting that George Springer - who has admittedly had a down year - is really struggling in the 2nd half:
1st Half: .262/.359/.473, 19HR, .302 BABIP
2nd Half: .234/.346/.415, 9HR, .306 BABIP
August: .246/.360/.412
September: .200/.326/.373
But that was a pretty sweet slide to score a run yesterday.
*Colby Rasmus had a remarkable interview yesterday with the Chronicle on why he's not playing as much down the stretch. Rasmus:
I just haven't been feeling like myself out there on the field, so I just felt that it may be better for somebody else to get in there. (Tony Kemp) got in there and did something cool. Just taking a little breather...I just don't feel that I can get out there and do as good a job as somebody else. So I don't think that it's fair for them or fair for the team for me to try to just get out there if I'm not feeling like I can get the job done.
I've never heard anything like this from a player before. This goes to the very heart of something I've wrestled with: if you're struggling, is it more admirable to try to play through it - hurting your team in the process - or do you have an obligation to take the field every time you're called upon, regardless of how it turns out.
*MLB overturned one of the error calls on Altuve last week, to give him 203 hits on the season.
*FanGraphs: The Astros gave the Rangers a quality outfielder named Carlos Gomez. Pro tip: Don't read this.
*Hardball Times: Jose Altuve and the quest for .400.
*Preston Tucker had surgery on his shoulder blade, ending a season of pain. Hinch:
It bothered him a little bit in the Minor Leagues before he got called back up, and he was able to tolerate it as long as he didn't swing and miss or have an awkward swing.
Oh, okay. Tucker should be ready for Spring Training.
*David Paulino has been added to the Arizona Fall League roster.
*Happy birthday, Carlos Correa and Larry Dierker:
For Carlos Correa's 22nd birthday... Here's a spray chart of all his base hits. Beautiful. pic.twitter.com/dDSDI6dhYn— Daren Willman (@darenw) September 22, 2016
*An oral history of Vin Scully.
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Saturday Morning Hot Links
For the time being, Astros County is a link dump site. It's just a really busy time of year and The Hobby is getting pushed back to something I can really only do from 5:30-6:30am. We're working on freeing up some time, or adding more writers that might be able to do a little analysis here or there, but I do hope you find the links helpful and/or interesting. If you have suggestions for improvements, please do be a dear and leave them in the comments or email them along.
Oh and the Astros lost to the Cubs because of Jon Lester and one swing of K**s Br*ant's bat. Joe Musgrove walked Dexter Fowler and then gave up Bryant's 37th home run of the season to provide the difference in the 2-0 final. Musgrove did snap the Astros' string of terrible starts by going 6IP, 3H/2ER, 5K:3BB. The Astros didn't get multiple hits in an inning until the 7th.
The Astros have lost three straight games and are now 3-5 in the 13-game Stretch of Death.
*Who won yesterday: Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers, Mariners
Who lost yesterday: Blue Jays, Orioles, Royals
*So the Wild Card picture looks like this:
WC1: Toronto +1
WC2: Baltimore/Detroit: 0
Yankees: -1
Astros: -2.5
The Astros playoff odds are down to 11.9%.
*Since August 24 Altuve is 9x61, and his average has dropped to .339.
*Carlos Correa was out for a third straight game, as if the Baseball Gods would not allow Correa and Bryant to play in the same game. Like some 11.22.63 bullcrap. But the Astros do expect him back this weekend.
*Dallas Keuchel isn't expected to begin throwing until next week. There isn't any structural damage in his shoulder, but the inflammation is sticking around.
*Lance McCullers has increased his throwing to 120-130 feet, but has not returned to a mound yet.
*Also on the passenger list on the SS Shoulder Hell is Preston Tucker, who has yet to resume baseball activities since going on the DL on August 12.
*FanGraphs: The Dividends of Alex Bregman's Non-Adjustment. Bregman:
We don't want to get the ball on the ground. Up here, that's an out. So we're trying to hit the ball on the line and in the air.
*Jake Kaplan: What if the Astros had drafted Kris Bryant? Luhnow:
You can play that game until you drive yourself crazy...Kris Bryant's a great player. We certainly knew he was going to be selected...either 1 or 2, and I think he's had a very good career and the Cubs have benefited a lot from having him. So, I'm not going to reflect on it more than that.
*Vampirically-named Viosergy Rosa hit a two-out walk-off grand slam to give Midland a 2-1 series lead in the Texas League playoffs over Corpus.
*Lancaster is headed to the California League Division Finals thanks to Jason Martin's 2HR/7RBI night. Lancaster beat Rancho Cucamonga 21-6, meaning the JetHawks put up 38 runs in two elimination games.
Oh and the Astros lost to the Cubs because of Jon Lester and one swing of K**s Br*ant's bat. Joe Musgrove walked Dexter Fowler and then gave up Bryant's 37th home run of the season to provide the difference in the 2-0 final. Musgrove did snap the Astros' string of terrible starts by going 6IP, 3H/2ER, 5K:3BB. The Astros didn't get multiple hits in an inning until the 7th.
The Astros have lost three straight games and are now 3-5 in the 13-game Stretch of Death.
*Who won yesterday: Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers, Mariners
Who lost yesterday: Blue Jays, Orioles, Royals
*So the Wild Card picture looks like this:
WC1: Toronto +1
WC2: Baltimore/Detroit: 0
Yankees: -1
Astros: -2.5
The Astros playoff odds are down to 11.9%.
*Since August 24 Altuve is 9x61, and his average has dropped to .339.
*Carlos Correa was out for a third straight game, as if the Baseball Gods would not allow Correa and Bryant to play in the same game. Like some 11.22.63 bullcrap. But the Astros do expect him back this weekend.
*Dallas Keuchel isn't expected to begin throwing until next week. There isn't any structural damage in his shoulder, but the inflammation is sticking around.
*Lance McCullers has increased his throwing to 120-130 feet, but has not returned to a mound yet.
*Also on the passenger list on the SS Shoulder Hell is Preston Tucker, who has yet to resume baseball activities since going on the DL on August 12.
*FanGraphs: The Dividends of Alex Bregman's Non-Adjustment. Bregman:
We don't want to get the ball on the ground. Up here, that's an out. So we're trying to hit the ball on the line and in the air.
*Jake Kaplan: What if the Astros had drafted Kris Bryant? Luhnow:
You can play that game until you drive yourself crazy...Kris Bryant's a great player. We certainly knew he was going to be selected...either 1 or 2, and I think he's had a very good career and the Cubs have benefited a lot from having him. So, I'm not going to reflect on it more than that.
*Vampirically-named Viosergy Rosa hit a two-out walk-off grand slam to give Midland a 2-1 series lead in the Texas League playoffs over Corpus.
*Lancaster is headed to the California League Division Finals thanks to Jason Martin's 2HR/7RBI night. Lancaster beat Rancho Cucamonga 21-6, meaning the JetHawks put up 38 runs in two elimination games.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Thursday Morning Hot Links
Things were going great until, very quickly, they were not. Doug Fister turned in another Kazmir and the Astros lost 6-5 at Cleveland. David Paulino makes his major-league debut today.
*Who Won Yesterday: Seattle, Yankees, Red Sox
Who Lost Yesterday: Astros, Rangers, Orioles, Tigers, Blue Jays, Royals,
In other words, the Astros could have picked up a game on just about everybody in front of them last night. The Wild Card race remains:
WC1: Toronto +1
WC2: Baltimore +/-
Detroit -1
Houston: -2
*FanGraphs gives the Astros a 22% chance of getting in the playoffs. FiveThirtyEight puts it at 24%.
*Thanks, midges.
*Yulieski Gurriel hit his first home run, in the 8th inning off Andrew Miller. Gurriel:
I feel happy I got the first one out of the way. It's been a little while. I was glad that I was able to drive in two runs but a little unhappy that we fell short.
*Brian McTaggart notes that over the past seven games Astros starters have an 8.01 ERA. In his last six starts, Fister is 2-4 with a 7.12 ERA. Hinch:
He's having a hard time ending at-bats. There are a lot of pitch counts. There are a couple of misfires that aren't normal for him. He rarely yanks a cutter and hits guys, especially to left-handed hitters. He did that a couple of times today. Execution is key in his game when he's good, and certainly he stands out when he struggles.
*Carlos Correa is out until at least Friday with shoulder inflammation which, by my count*, has sidelined 23 members of the active roster. Correa flew to Houston prior to Wednesday's game to get checked out by doctors. Hinch:
We're optimistic that he's going to be able to play this weekend against the Cubs at some point. I'm happy to report that, but we're obviously going to lose him for the next couple of games.
This is Astros-speak for "Carlos Correa's arm will be amputated following the conclusion of the 2016 season.
*could be wrong
*That Correa couldn't play last night, on Roberto Clemente Day, means we weren't able to see these amazing cleats in action:
*Corpus lost Game 1 of their Texas League playoff series to Midland, 6-2. Francis Martes threw 6IP, 10H/3ER, 6K:1BB; Ryan Thompson allowed 1H/0ER in 2IP. Kevin Comer gave up three late runs in the 9th to put the game out of reach. The Hooks got 12 hits and five walks and were 1x15 w/RISP. Drew Ferguson, Garrett Stubbs, J.D. Davis, Nick Tanielu, and Roberto Pena all had two hits each. Game 2 is tonight.
*Lancaster and Rancho Cucamonga traded runs throughout the game but it was Rancho Cucamonga who plated the walk-off run in the bottom of the 16th inning for a 4-3 win over Lancaster in Game 1. Brock Dykxhoorn allowed 4H/2ER, 7K:2BB in 7IP. Kevin McCanna gave up an unearned run in 4IP, Andrew Thome allowed 3H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 3IP and Alex Winkelman took the loss with 3H/1ER, 2K:1BB in 1.1IP. Johnny Sewald went 4x7 and Jamie Ritchie was 3x6. Aaron Mizell was 2x5 with two walks and a home run. Kyle Tucker was 0x8 with 3Ks. Game 2 is tonight.
*A swarm of bees caused a delay at Round Rock's playoff game.
*Brandon Barnes is still the same guy.
*Eight dummies are interested in Tim Tebow.
*Molina's Cantina is celebrating it's 75th anniversary.
*Today in Whatever, Bro:
*Who Won Yesterday: Seattle, Yankees, Red Sox
Who Lost Yesterday: Astros, Rangers, Orioles, Tigers, Blue Jays, Royals,
In other words, the Astros could have picked up a game on just about everybody in front of them last night. The Wild Card race remains:
WC1: Toronto +1
WC2: Baltimore +/-
Detroit -1
Houston: -2
*FanGraphs gives the Astros a 22% chance of getting in the playoffs. FiveThirtyEight puts it at 24%.
*Thanks, midges.
*Yulieski Gurriel hit his first home run, in the 8th inning off Andrew Miller. Gurriel:
I feel happy I got the first one out of the way. It's been a little while. I was glad that I was able to drive in two runs but a little unhappy that we fell short.
*Brian McTaggart notes that over the past seven games Astros starters have an 8.01 ERA. In his last six starts, Fister is 2-4 with a 7.12 ERA. Hinch:
He's having a hard time ending at-bats. There are a lot of pitch counts. There are a couple of misfires that aren't normal for him. He rarely yanks a cutter and hits guys, especially to left-handed hitters. He did that a couple of times today. Execution is key in his game when he's good, and certainly he stands out when he struggles.
*Carlos Correa is out until at least Friday with shoulder inflammation which, by my count*, has sidelined 23 members of the active roster. Correa flew to Houston prior to Wednesday's game to get checked out by doctors. Hinch:
We're optimistic that he's going to be able to play this weekend against the Cubs at some point. I'm happy to report that, but we're obviously going to lose him for the next couple of games.
This is Astros-speak for "Carlos Correa's arm will be amputated following the conclusion of the 2016 season.
*could be wrong
*That Correa couldn't play last night, on Roberto Clemente Day, means we weren't able to see these amazing cleats in action:
*Look for David Paulino to throw between 85-95 pitches when the Astros take on the Indians today at 11:10am..@TeamCJCorrea honors his hero on #RobertoClementeDay with custom @adidasBaseball cleats. https://t.co/J2FOti2sPI pic.twitter.com/9po9IUlWIJ— Paul Murphy (@PabloMurphy) September 7, 2016
*Corpus lost Game 1 of their Texas League playoff series to Midland, 6-2. Francis Martes threw 6IP, 10H/3ER, 6K:1BB; Ryan Thompson allowed 1H/0ER in 2IP. Kevin Comer gave up three late runs in the 9th to put the game out of reach. The Hooks got 12 hits and five walks and were 1x15 w/RISP. Drew Ferguson, Garrett Stubbs, J.D. Davis, Nick Tanielu, and Roberto Pena all had two hits each. Game 2 is tonight.
*Lancaster and Rancho Cucamonga traded runs throughout the game but it was Rancho Cucamonga who plated the walk-off run in the bottom of the 16th inning for a 4-3 win over Lancaster in Game 1. Brock Dykxhoorn allowed 4H/2ER, 7K:2BB in 7IP. Kevin McCanna gave up an unearned run in 4IP, Andrew Thome allowed 3H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 3IP and Alex Winkelman took the loss with 3H/1ER, 2K:1BB in 1.1IP. Johnny Sewald went 4x7 and Jamie Ritchie was 3x6. Aaron Mizell was 2x5 with two walks and a home run. Kyle Tucker was 0x8 with 3Ks. Game 2 is tonight.
*A swarm of bees caused a delay at Round Rock's playoff game.
*Brandon Barnes is still the same guy.
*Eight dummies are interested in Tim Tebow.
*Molina's Cantina is celebrating it's 75th anniversary.
*Today in Whatever, Bro:
Jonathan Villar: 1st player with 15 HR and 50 SB in a season since Carl Crawford in 2009— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 8, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
The Indians don't have a clear fifth starter, so yesterday was a Bullpen Day in which eight Indians pitchers took the mound to just get to tomorrow, and hopefully the number of different looks would throw the Astros off. It didn't. Astros win 6-2 behind Mike Fiers' strong five innings, Alex Bregman's 2-run homer, and Carlos Correa's defense.
Fiers credited two slick Correa plays - one in which he made his first step -0.7 seconds before the ball was hit (the "-" is not a typo) - with getting the win. Correa has decided to one-hop throws to 1B from the hole:
You've got more control of the baseball when you try to one-hop it. Obviously, we have good first basemen, but when you try to throw it in the air, you can throw it over the first baseman, and there's no chance he can pick it up.
If you had Mike Fiers as the 2nd Astros pitcher to reach ten wins, then please step right up and allow me to tie you to this burning stake for witchcraft.
*Jake Kaplan notes: It's been a week since the Astros had a starting pitcher go six innings.
*Who Won Yesterday: Seattle, New York, Baltimore, Kansas City, Detroit
*Who Lost Yesterday: Southwest Arkansas, Toronto, Boston
AL Wild Card:
WC1: Boston +1
WC2: Baltimore/Detroit: 0
Houston: -2
New York: -3.5
Kansas City: -4
Seattle: -5
*MLB.com gives the Astros an 18.3% chance of making the postseason, with Boston and Detroit their most likely picks for the Wild Card spots.
*FiveThirtyEight puts it at 21% for the Astros.
*Ten days ago Dallas Keuchel beat the Rays and said his body felt as good as it had all year long. Now it's looking unlikely that he'll make another start this season. Hinch:
He's really good at pitching through a lot of the irregularities that happen throughout the season, and this is just something he couldn't do. When he played catch on Sunday and felt uncomfortable, we decided to send him back.
Brad Peacock will get the start tonight against Cleveland, and if he wanted to pull a Brandon Backe impression, that would be alright with me.
*Richard Justice writes about how Alex Bregman's surge at the plate coincides with Hinch moving him to the #2-hole.
*Jeff Passan broke down the schedules of 18 playoff-contending teams (I only did, like, six teams). According to Passan, only the Red Sox and Yankees have a tougher schedule than the Astros.
*Max Stassi and Kevin Chapman have joined the Astros from Fresno, and that might be it for September call-ups.
Fiers credited two slick Correa plays - one in which he made his first step -0.7 seconds before the ball was hit (the "-" is not a typo) - with getting the win. Correa has decided to one-hop throws to 1B from the hole:
You've got more control of the baseball when you try to one-hop it. Obviously, we have good first basemen, but when you try to throw it in the air, you can throw it over the first baseman, and there's no chance he can pick it up.
If you had Mike Fiers as the 2nd Astros pitcher to reach ten wins, then please step right up and allow me to tie you to this burning stake for witchcraft.
*Jake Kaplan notes: It's been a week since the Astros had a starting pitcher go six innings.
*Who Won Yesterday: Seattle, New York, Baltimore, Kansas City, Detroit
*Who Lost Yesterday: Southwest Arkansas, Toronto, Boston
AL Wild Card:
WC1: Boston +1
WC2: Baltimore/Detroit: 0
Houston: -2
New York: -3.5
Kansas City: -4
Seattle: -5
*MLB.com gives the Astros an 18.3% chance of making the postseason, with Boston and Detroit their most likely picks for the Wild Card spots.
*FiveThirtyEight puts it at 21% for the Astros.
*Ten days ago Dallas Keuchel beat the Rays and said his body felt as good as it had all year long. Now it's looking unlikely that he'll make another start this season. Hinch:
He's really good at pitching through a lot of the irregularities that happen throughout the season, and this is just something he couldn't do. When he played catch on Sunday and felt uncomfortable, we decided to send him back.
Brad Peacock will get the start tonight against Cleveland, and if he wanted to pull a Brandon Backe impression, that would be alright with me.
*Richard Justice writes about how Alex Bregman's surge at the plate coincides with Hinch moving him to the #2-hole.
*Jeff Passan broke down the schedules of 18 playoff-contending teams (I only did, like, six teams). According to Passan, only the Red Sox and Yankees have a tougher schedule than the Astros.
*Max Stassi and Kevin Chapman have joined the Astros from Fresno, and that might be it for September call-ups.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
These links are sweetened and condensed because I overslept. Badly.
*Big news of the morning is that A.J. Hinch told Lance McCullers that he's going on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder. Hinch:
He should be doing some things and throwing bullpen and things like that prior to the season, but opening day he won't be an active player. There's just not going to be enough time to build him up for the role in which we anticipate him doing that. I told him this morning so he'd be assured he's not trying to hit a deadline of opening day trying to impress anybody.
This is a pretty good job of Hinch and the Astros taking the decision out of McCullers' hands. You just know that McCullers would try to get back for Opening Day and possibly end up missing more time because of that, so they nipped it in the bed.
*Speaking of the Meat Wagon, with Stassi out until early May, the Astros will explore a backup catcher via trade.
*Collin McHugh wants to be known as All-Star Collin McHugh...and a good father.
*Doug Fister feels better after his stomach bug.
*Chris Devenski was optioned to minor-league camp, but will start the March 27 game against San Diego in Mexico City.
*Go to Cliff Hagen Stadium at the University of Kentucky and order the 85-ounce A.J. Reed Nachos, approved by A.J. Reed.
*This Dallas Guy spent a week at Spring Training and is now re-thinking his Astros AL West Champs pick.
*Big news of the morning is that A.J. Hinch told Lance McCullers that he's going on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder. Hinch:
He should be doing some things and throwing bullpen and things like that prior to the season, but opening day he won't be an active player. There's just not going to be enough time to build him up for the role in which we anticipate him doing that. I told him this morning so he'd be assured he's not trying to hit a deadline of opening day trying to impress anybody.
This is a pretty good job of Hinch and the Astros taking the decision out of McCullers' hands. You just know that McCullers would try to get back for Opening Day and possibly end up missing more time because of that, so they nipped it in the bed.
*Speaking of the Meat Wagon, with Stassi out until early May, the Astros will explore a backup catcher via trade.
*Collin McHugh wants to be known as All-Star Collin McHugh...and a good father.
*Doug Fister feels better after his stomach bug.
*Chris Devenski was optioned to minor-league camp, but will start the March 27 game against San Diego in Mexico City.
*Go to Cliff Hagen Stadium at the University of Kentucky and order the 85-ounce A.J. Reed Nachos, approved by A.J. Reed.
*This Dallas Guy spent a week at Spring Training and is now re-thinking his Astros AL West Champs pick.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Monday Morning Hot Links
The Astros beat the Braves yesterday 7-6 behind a 3-run Jose Altuve homer, but the biggest news of the weekend (and, apologies if you came here looking for some NOOZ and didn't find any, it was a rather busy weekend at ACHQ) was the injury bug that reared its ugly head:
*Lance McCullers has a sore shoulder and, despite a clean MRI taken on Friday, could still land on the DL to open the season. He was scheduled to start a game this past weekend, but the soreness prevented that from happening, and there is no timetable for his return. "150 games are more important than those first two (starts)," McCullers told the Chronicle.
*Max Stassi has an injured hamate bone which, as Hinch says in this MLB.com video, affects Stassi's hitting more than it does his catching. Stassi will see a specialist in Houston today and rejoin the team in Kissimmee on Wednesday.
*As far as depth, Alfredo Gonzalez is the only other catcher on the 40-Man roster (other than Castro, of course). Gonzalez has only played in 32 games for Corpus, but hit .321/.409/.378 across three levels in 2015. Tyler Heineman hit .285/.334/.379 between Corpus and Fresno last year, but would have to be added to the 40-Man roster.
*Jim Crane loves what he sees in the 2016 Astros. Try the first link if you have trouble with the second.
*Brian Smith loves how much fun the Astros are having.
*Luke Gregerson threw live BP for the first time, and is ready to go.
*Teoscar Hernandez - who struggled in Corpus last year (.219/.275/.362) - is impressing A.J. Hinch in camp.
*Correa's rise makes the Astros hungry for more.
*Colby Rasmus: We just love the game more than anybody else.
*The Astros' ESL program is paying off for pitching prospect Juan Minaya.
*The Astros' shift from development to domination is almost complete.
*Fresno State made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 years and alum Doug Fister couldn't be happier.
*Kevin Chapman and Jake Buchanan won an Astros basketball shooting contest.
*Guys like John Kruk and Dmitri Young are worried about Pablo Sandoval.
*Someone leaked the bracket halfway through the train wreck that was CBS' Selection Show.
*Lance McCullers has a sore shoulder and, despite a clean MRI taken on Friday, could still land on the DL to open the season. He was scheduled to start a game this past weekend, but the soreness prevented that from happening, and there is no timetable for his return. "150 games are more important than those first two (starts)," McCullers told the Chronicle.
*Max Stassi has an injured hamate bone which, as Hinch says in this MLB.com video, affects Stassi's hitting more than it does his catching. Stassi will see a specialist in Houston today and rejoin the team in Kissimmee on Wednesday.
*As far as depth, Alfredo Gonzalez is the only other catcher on the 40-Man roster (other than Castro, of course). Gonzalez has only played in 32 games for Corpus, but hit .321/.409/.378 across three levels in 2015. Tyler Heineman hit .285/.334/.379 between Corpus and Fresno last year, but would have to be added to the 40-Man roster.
*Jim Crane loves what he sees in the 2016 Astros. Try the first link if you have trouble with the second.
*Brian Smith loves how much fun the Astros are having.
*Luke Gregerson threw live BP for the first time, and is ready to go.
*Teoscar Hernandez - who struggled in Corpus last year (.219/.275/.362) - is impressing A.J. Hinch in camp.
*Correa's rise makes the Astros hungry for more.
*Colby Rasmus: We just love the game more than anybody else.
*The Astros' ESL program is paying off for pitching prospect Juan Minaya.
*The Astros' shift from development to domination is almost complete.
*Fresno State made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 years and alum Doug Fister couldn't be happier.
*Kevin Chapman and Jake Buchanan won an Astros basketball shooting contest.
*Guys like John Kruk and Dmitri Young are worried about Pablo Sandoval.
*Someone leaked the bracket halfway through the train wreck that was CBS' Selection Show.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Hey y'all, something might be happening.
UPDATE 7:33pm: NEVER MIND. Correa is now in the game for Corpus at Midland. Colin Moran has an injured shoulder. So now it's "Correa still in Corpus and Colin Moran is hurt." Something *is* happening, it's just not good.
Keep reading to see the original, now-worthless post.
So about 6:15pm Central time Jeff Luhnow tweeted this...
It links to Michael Baumann's really good Grantland article on whether Luhnow/Astros would actually call up Carlos Correa, Mark Appel, Colin Moran, etc.
WELL. Fast forward to this:
Who isn't on that list? Shortstop Carlos Correa. Weird, huh? Now, it could just be a scheduled day off - Correa got the last game of the Tulsa series off on April 21 and then there was a travel day on April 22. So if the Astros are working to give Correa a day off every week or so, then this might be it.
That said, MLB.com's Jim Callis said he wouldn't be surprised to see Correa in Houston:
Correa hasn't played above Class A before this season and the Astros don't want to rush him, but they're also hoping to contend and his immense talent can't be denied. He'd help Houston win more games than Marwin Gonzalez or Jonathan Villar will.
And THAT said, the New York Post's Joel Sherman wrote this morning that Lowrie's injury won't play a factor in calling Correa up. Luhnow told him:
Carlos is getting close, but he's had 70 at-bats above A-ball so we'd like to see more. We are going to go with Gonzo/Villar for now, but we will be monitoring the situation closely.
Then the suddenly-chatty Luhnow told MLB.com:
It's different for every player. Carlos is a unique player, so the typical time for each level may not apply to him...Altuve was able to skip Triple-A completely, and I think Carlos may be able to, but right now it's something that we're discussing internally.
But Tuesday Luhnow told the Chronicle:
There's some value to him staying longer in the Texas League. There's also value in him going up to the next level and seeing better pitching. So we're going to weigh those options as we go forward and continue to evaluate what's happening in Houston. But he's certainly coming into the discussion as he should be. He's a potentially franchise type player.
It could be that the Astros don't like what they're seeing in Marwin and/or Villar. But Correa isn't going to skip Triple-A and ride the bench, he's going to start. So it would have to be a big knock on Marwin/Villar in order for them to promote Correa. That said, the Astros are weird and who knows what they think?
Stay tuned...
Keep reading to see the original, now-worthless post.
So about 6:15pm Central time Jeff Luhnow tweeted this...
What do y'all think? Houston’s Supervillain: Should the Astros Activate the Death Star Ahead of Schedule? http://t.co/IVnHrA6Yxg
— Jeff Luhnow (@jluhnow) April 30, 2015
It links to Michael Baumann's really good Grantland article on whether Luhnow/Astros would actually call up Carlos Correa, Mark Appel, Colin Moran, etc.
WELL. Fast forward to this:
#cchooks lineup at Midland: Kemp 2B, White SS, Moran 3B, Meredith CF, Gregor 1B, Nash DH, Kemmer RF, Heras LF, Pena C, Hader/Devenski P
— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) April 30, 2015
Who isn't on that list? Shortstop Carlos Correa. Weird, huh? Now, it could just be a scheduled day off - Correa got the last game of the Tulsa series off on April 21 and then there was a travel day on April 22. So if the Astros are working to give Correa a day off every week or so, then this might be it.
That said, MLB.com's Jim Callis said he wouldn't be surprised to see Correa in Houston:
Correa hasn't played above Class A before this season and the Astros don't want to rush him, but they're also hoping to contend and his immense talent can't be denied. He'd help Houston win more games than Marwin Gonzalez or Jonathan Villar will.
And THAT said, the New York Post's Joel Sherman wrote this morning that Lowrie's injury won't play a factor in calling Correa up. Luhnow told him:
Carlos is getting close, but he's had 70 at-bats above A-ball so we'd like to see more. We are going to go with Gonzo/Villar for now, but we will be monitoring the situation closely.
Then the suddenly-chatty Luhnow told MLB.com:
It's different for every player. Carlos is a unique player, so the typical time for each level may not apply to him...Altuve was able to skip Triple-A completely, and I think Carlos may be able to, but right now it's something that we're discussing internally.
But Tuesday Luhnow told the Chronicle:
There's some value to him staying longer in the Texas League. There's also value in him going up to the next level and seeing better pitching. So we're going to weigh those options as we go forward and continue to evaluate what's happening in Houston. But he's certainly coming into the discussion as he should be. He's a potentially franchise type player.
It could be that the Astros don't like what they're seeing in Marwin and/or Villar. But Correa isn't going to skip Triple-A and ride the bench, he's going to start. So it would have to be a big knock on Marwin/Villar in order for them to promote Correa. That said, the Astros are weird and who knows what they think?
Stay tuned...
Friday, May 16, 2014
Velasquez and Meredith headed to Kissimmee
Via WTHB we find a link to this Eric L. Smith piece on the injuries sustained by Vincent Velasquez and Brandon Meredith.
Velasquez hurt his groin working out earlier this week, and it sounds bad:
JetHawks manager Rodney Linares said he wasn't sure how long Velasquez, who is 4-1 with 2.89 ERA, will be down there but added he might need surgery.
Brandon Meredith injured his shoulder during batting practice:
"I expect him to be back up here in a week or 10 days," Linares said. "But I want him to be 100 percent healthy when he gets back."
Velasquez hurt his groin working out earlier this week, and it sounds bad:
JetHawks manager Rodney Linares said he wasn't sure how long Velasquez, who is 4-1 with 2.89 ERA, will be down there but added he might need surgery.
Brandon Meredith injured his shoulder during batting practice:
"I expect him to be back up here in a week or 10 days," Linares said. "But I want him to be 100 percent healthy when he gets back."
Friday, April 25, 2014
Black Friday: Things fall apart
Oh Jeez. Every Bad Thing is happening this afternoon. Let's unpack this.
*Matt Albers has been placed on the 15-Day DL, and Jose Cisnero has been called up to replace him.
*Jesse Crain has developed bursitis. That early May return isn't going to happen, since he won't be able to throw for at least another week.
*2013 1-1 pick Mark Appel has been sent from Lancaster back to Kissimmee for Extended Spring Training, but not because he's injured (as we wondered yesterday morning).
Regardless, this is a pretty stunning move. It's obviously good that Appel isn't injured, but the Astros aren't willing to let him get injured in order for him to become adjusted to a four-to-five day rotation. Due to injuries and call-ups thanks to how much the Astros sucked in 2013, the tandem system didn't last much past May. I wonder if the Astros are going to keep Appel in Kissimmee until a similar situation arises and Appel can get his strength up and adjust to a "more regular" schedule at a place where we're not writing about his every pitching appearance.
*How about some good news? Delino DeShields is healing up, and is expected to be "better" in the next 7-10 days.
*Matt Albers has been placed on the 15-Day DL, and Jose Cisnero has been called up to replace him.
*Jesse Crain has developed bursitis. That early May return isn't going to happen, since he won't be able to throw for at least another week.
*2013 1-1 pick Mark Appel has been sent from Lancaster back to Kissimmee for Extended Spring Training, but not because he's injured (as we wondered yesterday morning).
"It's a little unsettling and the results aren't what we expect," Luhnow said of Appel's adjustment to pro ball. Appel was top 2013 pick.There is no timetable for his return. Now remember a couple of things: this is Appel's first full season, and the piggyback system isn't exactly standard operating procedure. Mike Foltynewicz developed some elbow discomfort last season, and Rudy Owens complained about how his arm hurt earlier this season in regards to the tandem pitching plan. Also, Appel had the whole appendicitis thing in late January, and didn't get a normal Spring Training. Were he to have these numbers (6.23 ERA in 13IP) in March, would we be as nervous?
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) April 25, 2014
Regardless, this is a pretty stunning move. It's obviously good that Appel isn't injured, but the Astros aren't willing to let him get injured in order for him to become adjusted to a four-to-five day rotation. Due to injuries and call-ups thanks to how much the Astros sucked in 2013, the tandem system didn't last much past May. I wonder if the Astros are going to keep Appel in Kissimmee until a similar situation arises and Appel can get his strength up and adjust to a "more regular" schedule at a place where we're not writing about his every pitching appearance.
*How about some good news? Delino DeShields is healing up, and is expected to be "better" in the next 7-10 days.
Friday Morning Hot Links
Want to sound knowledgeable about the Astros in your office Water Closet?
*Czech out the new Astros Boxes podcast, deftly titled, "You're My Boy, McHugh!"
*Springer's grandparents were at the game last night. Before the game Springer said of them, "They'll probably be in their glory tonight," a phrase of which I have never before heard.
*Within that link we also find that Matt Albers hasn't pitched because his right shoulder is stiff, and may end up on the DL, and Scott Feldman played catch yesterday for the first time since landing on the DL.
*Mike Foltynewicz is working on the command of his curve and changeup. On his slow start to the season: I have no idea why, but my entire professional career the first two or three outings aren't very pretty. I'll pitch well in the spring, but those first few have always been a little bit of a struggle.
*Check out this video from MLB.com of Jerome Williams playing catch with a young Mariners fan.
*District Judge Keith Elkins is encouraging Galveston PD and Brandon Backe to come to a settlement as risk of a hung jury increases.
*The Sugar Land Skeeters will be able to stream home games through ESPN3. How's that for a slap in the face?
*Reid Ryan's niece is playing softball for Rutgers.
*Czech out the new Astros Boxes podcast, deftly titled, "You're My Boy, McHugh!"
*Springer's grandparents were at the game last night. Before the game Springer said of them, "They'll probably be in their glory tonight," a phrase of which I have never before heard.
*Within that link we also find that Matt Albers hasn't pitched because his right shoulder is stiff, and may end up on the DL, and Scott Feldman played catch yesterday for the first time since landing on the DL.
*Mike Foltynewicz is working on the command of his curve and changeup. On his slow start to the season: I have no idea why, but my entire professional career the first two or three outings aren't very pretty. I'll pitch well in the spring, but those first few have always been a little bit of a struggle.
*Check out this video from MLB.com of Jerome Williams playing catch with a young Mariners fan.
*District Judge Keith Elkins is encouraging Galveston PD and Brandon Backe to come to a settlement as risk of a hung jury increases.
*The Sugar Land Skeeters will be able to stream home games through ESPN3. How's that for a slap in the face?
*Reid Ryan's niece is playing softball for Rutgers.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Crowe to DL, Krauss up
Trevor Crowe went on the DL after crashing into the wall and spraining the AC joint in his shoulder during today's win over the Brewers. The Astros have purchased the contract of Marc Krauss, and will join the team in Chicago.
This season for OKC, Krauss is hitting .277/.393.488 with 45K:43BB in 262 PAs.
This season for OKC, Krauss is hitting .277/.393.488 with 45K:43BB in 262 PAs.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Jack Armstrong nowhere near taking the field
Courtesy of a link from AppyAstros, Jack Armstrong, Jr - the Astros' 3rd Round pick in the 2011 draft - isn't close to taking the field.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2012, Armstrong was rehabbing this spring when he tore the labrum in his pitching shoulder, and underwent a second surgery last week.
Armstrong:
It is just a couple of old injuries that have finally caught up with me. I started feeling them that last year at Vanderbilt. That’s why my innings were really low. I just can’t seem to get healthy and stay healthy.
Armstrong had some injury concerns throughout his career. He experienced elbow tenderness while pitching in the Cape Cod League in 2011, but Bobby Heck said that his arm looked "plenty healthy."
Armstrong will be out until Spring Training 2014, when he'll maybe start his professional career at age 24.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2012, Armstrong was rehabbing this spring when he tore the labrum in his pitching shoulder, and underwent a second surgery last week.
Armstrong:
It is just a couple of old injuries that have finally caught up with me. I started feeling them that last year at Vanderbilt. That’s why my innings were really low. I just can’t seem to get healthy and stay healthy.
Armstrong had some injury concerns throughout his career. He experienced elbow tenderness while pitching in the Cape Cod League in 2011, but Bobby Heck said that his arm looked "plenty healthy."
Armstrong will be out until Spring Training 2014, when he'll maybe start his professional career at age 24.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Hell breaks loose, roster moves abound
It started with a random tweet this morning from an account not affiliated with minor-league baseball - 2011 10th Round pick Kyle Hallock had been called up to Triple-A Oklahoma City from Low-A Quad Cities. No one really knew what it meant. Was it roster filler, and nothing was happening, or was something actually going on?
Nope. Something is up. NewStro Travis Blackley strained his stupid shoulder in his very first bullpen session at Minute Maid Park and was put on the 15-Day DL, so fellow lefty Dallas Keuchel is on his way to Houston to take his lefty long-relief role (since Xavier Cedeno was about as effective as a pin-pricked condom last night), and lefty Hallock will take Keuchel's spot at OKC.
Hallock threw to three batters in Quad Cities, struck out two of them, and got the other one out, too. And so the season-long battle royal among pitchers continues.
Nope. Something is up. NewStro Travis Blackley strained his stupid shoulder in his very first bullpen session at Minute Maid Park and was put on the 15-Day DL, so fellow lefty Dallas Keuchel is on his way to Houston to take his lefty long-relief role (since Xavier Cedeno was about as effective as a pin-pricked condom last night), and lefty Hallock will take Keuchel's spot at OKC.
Hallock threw to three batters in Quad Cities, struck out two of them, and got the other one out, too. And so the season-long battle royal among pitchers continues.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Altuve and Moore done for the year
Okay, so it's one game, just one game. Yes, just one game remains in this miserable season. Whomever said that the most fun part of rebuilding is blowing it up doesn't plan on the Blowing Up taking four months.
Anyhow, Jose Altuve and Scott Moore (groin, shoulder, respectively) are out of today's game, getting a three hour head-start on the offseason.
Anyhow, Jose Altuve and Scott Moore (groin, shoulder, respectively) are out of today's game, getting a three hour head-start on the offseason.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Tranzactionz
Lancaster SP Ruben Alaniz is being placed on the 7-Day DL with right shoulder soreness, and Lexington's Nick Tropeano is heading that way to take his rotation spot.
For the season, Tropeano is 6-4 with a 2.78 ERA / 1.18 WHIP. In his last five starts, he's thrown 28.1IP, 23H/7ER, 30K:15BB.
For the season, Tropeano is 6-4 with a 2.78 ERA / 1.18 WHIP. In his last five starts, he's thrown 28.1IP, 23H/7ER, 30K:15BB.
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