Blue Jays, Astros Interested In Marcus Stroman; Astros Interested In Cody Bellinger
The Astros “checked in” with the Cubs about two of the team’s biggest trade chips, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that Houston inquired about right-hander Marcus Stroman and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger. Either player would essentially be a rental pickup for the Astros, as Stroman and Bellinger are each widely expected to become free agents this winter — Stroman via an opt-out in his contract, and Bellinger in declining his end of a mutual option.
The Cubs are 43-49 after today’s loss to the Red Sox, and are facing an increasingly uphill battle in both the NL Central (though Chicago is the only NLC team with a positive run differential) and NL wild card races. Unless the Northsiders go on a real hot streak over the next two weeks, it looks like the Cubs again be looking to sell some veteran players at the August 1 trade deadline.
Houston GM Dana Brown has cited both starting pitching and a left-handed hitter as his team’s two primary target areas heading into the deadline, and landing Stroman and Bellinger in one mega-deal would check both boxes at once, if such a blockbuster trade could be negotiated. Of course, it isn’t known at this point whether or not the Astros’ inquiries were anything more than due diligence, and it may be yet some time before the Cubs determine whether or not to pivot into seller mode. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said yesterday that “there is nothing we want more than to add,” so if the Cubs are even still on the fringes of the playoff race, they might still opt to keep their roster mostly intact.
From a financial perspective, the Astros’ luxury tax number is approximately $218.2MM, as per Roster Resource. This is well under the first $233MM tax threshold, giving Houston some room to add salary — such as the roughly $10.43MM still owed to Stroman and the $5.21MM owed to Bellinger, plus the $5MM buyout of his mutual option — while avoiding a tax bill entirely. Houston were taxpayers in 2020, however, and it isn’t out of the question that they could absorb another one-year tax hit in the first penalty tier in pursuit of another World Series title. Of course, Chicago isn’t entirely in salary-dump mode since the organization clearly wants to compete as early as 2024, so the Astros could make a deal for either player more likely by offering more of a prospect return than a financial return. In that scenario, the question might be how much minor league depth would the Astros want to surrender for a rental player.
Starting with Bellinger, he would add some balance to a heavily right-handed Astros lineup, and strengthen an outfield that is missing both Yordan Alvarez and Michael Brantley. Alvarez is at least making some progress in his way back from an oblique injury, while Brantley’s status is still up in the air as he has experienced several setbacks in his recovery from shoulder surgery almost a year ago. If Bellinger stepped into the regular center field role, Chas McCormick could spell Bellinger against southpaw pitching, and the McCormick/Corey Julks/Jake Meyers group would rotate through left field duty, with Alvarez getting most of the DH time when he returns.
Bellinger is hitting .301/.358/.524 with 12 homers and 11 steals (from 14 chances) over 257 plate appearances. He missed about a month with a knee contusion that limited him to first base in his return to the field, but Bellinger has resumed his regular duty in center field and also regained his hitting stroke. Bellinger had a scorching 1.209 OPS over his last 69 PA heading into today’s game.
Stroman has been outstanding all season, posting a 2.88 ERA over 118 2/3 innings. Despite below-average strikeout and walk totals, Stroman has done an excellent job of limiting damage (an elite 3.6% barrel rate) and keeping the ball on the ground (58.4% grounder rate). A .251 BABIP has certainly contributed to Stroman’s success, but his knack at avoiding home run damage would likely translate well to any number of contending teams with decent infield defense.
As such, many teams will surely be calling the Cubs about Stroman’s availability, and another intriguing landing spot besides the Astros has already emerged. The Score 670’s Bruce Levine reports that the Blue Jays (Stroman’s former team) “have expressed strong interest” in the righty’s services, which would count as a bit of a surprise considering the hard feelings that reportedly existed between Stroman and the Jays before he was dealt to the Mets in 2019. However, Stroman expressed nothing but positivity about his old club when the Cubs visited Toronto last year, and assuming the Jays front office feels the same, a Stroman return would certainly bolster the rotation.
An inconsistent offense has perhaps been the Blue Jays’ bigger problem in 2023, as a rotation that was seen as a potential weak link has been more or less solid, due to Jose Berrios‘ resurgence and Yusei Kikuchi‘s ability to at least stick as a fifth starter. However, Alek Manoah‘s inexplicable first-half collapse makes him an x-factor going forward, even if Manoah looked sharp in his first start back after a month-long retooling process. Hyun-Jin Ryu (Tommy John surgery) is also expected back within the next few weeks, so technically, Toronto could have six viable starters and perhaps less of a pressing need to devote trade resources on a major arm like Stroman.
The Astros have a much clearer need for pitching, considering how injuries have drastically thinned the rotation. Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. are both gone for the season, and Jose Urquidy is just starting a rehab assignment after missing two and a half months with a shoulder injury. Framber Valdez has already been dealing with a sore ankle and left yesterday’s start with a calf problem manager Dusty Baker hoped was only a cramp. If this wasn’t enough, Cristian Javier has been badly struggling over his last few starts, leaving swingman Brandon Bielak and rookies Hunter Brown and J.P. France as the Astros’ most viable starters.
It simply isn’t a rotation that looks like it can contend for another championship, and even making the playoffs might be difficult for Houston given the Rangers’ lead in the AL West and the crowded nature of the wild card race. Adding a starter in some form certainly seems like a must for the Astros, and it will be interesting to see how aggressive Brown will be in bolstering the rotation in his first trade deadline as a Major League general manager.
Notable Draft Signings: 7/15/23
The Cardinals and Royals both agreed to terms with their first-round picks earlier today. One additional notable signing from today:
- Per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, Astros first-rounder Brice Matthews was among ten draft picks the club signed today. Per MLB.com’s draft tracker, Matthews signed for a bonus of $2,480,000, a figure that comes in a touch under the $2,880,000 slot value of the 28th overall pick. A shortstop out of the University of Nebraska, Matthews was ranked 57th in the draft class by each of The Athletic’s Keith Law, Baseball America, and MLB Pipeline. Matthews draws praise for his enticing combination of power and speed to go with the athleticism to play either shortstop or center field professional, though scouts seem concerned about his hit tool given the amount of swing and miss in Matthews’ game.
AL West Notes: Angels, Leiter, Astros
After a strong start to the 2023 campaign, the Angels have faltered with a 4-14 record over their last 18 games. That slip to fourth place in the AL West has been accompanied by a rash of major injuries to key players like Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Gio Urshela. Fortunately for the club, the tides of their injury misfortune may be turning. MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger notes that both infielder Brandon Drury and catcher Logan O’Hoppe have progressed to hitting off a tee in their injury rehab processes.
Drury, in a particular, seems poised for a quick return, as Bollinger adds that he hopes to return from injury “in a few days.” O’Hoppe is farther away, considering his initial recovery timeline of four to six months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum back in April. Still, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register indicates that O’Hoppe’s recovery is going well, as he told reporters that his healing process following the surgery is expected to end next week, allowing him to focus on baseball activities going forward. While no specifics were given regarding O’Hoppe’s timeline for return, his most recent comments seem to leave the possibility of a late-season return on the table, which is excellent news given his status as the Angels’ top prospect entering the 2023 campaign.
More from around the AL West…
- It’s been a frustrating season for the Rangers and 2021 second overall pick Jack Leiter. After his selection in the 2021 draft, Leiter entered the 2022 season as a consensus top-25 prospect in the sport. Since then, however, he’s struggled mightily when pitching at the Double-A level, with a 5.54 ERA in 92 2/3 innings of work last season that saw him fall off many top 100 lists entering the 2023 campaign. Things haven’t gotten better from there, as Leiter has posted an eerily similar 5.52 ERA in 15 starts (65 1/3 innings) this season. Leiter’s struggles culminated in the club moving him to the development list yesterday, taking him off the Double-A active roster. Per Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today, the club hopes to work with Leiter on his mechanics in a more controlled environment than minor league starts can provide, and has offered no timetable for Leiter’s return to game action. It’s a deeply disappointing update for Rangers fans, as the 54-39 club would surely benefit from the front-line production Leiter was expected to provide when he was selected with the second overall pick two years ago.
- While the Astros have not been shy about their desire to acquire rotation help ahead of the trade deadline on August 1, Astros GM Dana Brown recently discussed with reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) the club’s back-up plan in the event that the club fails to acquire a surefire starter for the rotation over the next couple of weeks. Brown indicated that the club would consider a second half call-up for right-hander Spencer Arrighetti to help supplement the rotation if reinforcements are still necessary after the deadline. A sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft, Arrighetti a 4.21 ERA in 72 2/3 innings of work between the Double- and Triple-A levels this season. While Arrighetti seems unlikely to provide the same impact a rental starter such as Lucas Giolito or Eduardo Rodriguez could offer, the Astros have managed to find success while relying on unheralded rookies this season, including J.P. France, Ronel Blanco, and Shawn Dubin.
Yordan Alvarez, Jose Urquidy To Begin Rehab Assignments
Slugger Yordan Alvarez and starter Jose Urquidy will begin minor league rehab assignments with the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate tomorrow, the team announced. Houston has been without Alvarez for five weeks due to an oblique strain. Urquidy has been out more than two months due to shoulder troubles. Alvarez figures to be the first of the pair back to the active roster; Urquidy hasn’t pitched since late April and will surely require multiple rehab starts with full rest between them before reemerging as a rotation option. Still, it’s welcome news for an injury-plagued Astros club that is lacking both in the lineup and the rotation at the moment.
In recent weeks, general manager Dana Brown has publicly declared his two top needs at the trade deadline to be a left-handed bat and a starting pitcher. For much of the summer, Brown had suggested the bat was the larger priority, but just yesterday he flipped the script and indicated that pitching help is perhaps an even greater need. That’s understandable, as the ‘Stros have not only been without Urquidy but also Lance McCullers Jr. (season-ending flexor surgery) and Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery). To top it off, ace Framber Valdez has been pitching through a sprained ankle in recent weeks, while righty Cristian Javier had his most recent start skipped to “give him a breather” after a run of poor results, per Brown.
The looming returns of Alvarez and Urquidy — barring any setbacks during their respective rehab stints — surely doesn’t quell the Astros’ desire to add help in either area. Brown’s comments on his team’s needs were made with full knowledge that both players would be returning at some point before the deadline (or perhaps shortly after, in Urquidy’s case). Even if both could be inserted into the lineup immediately after the break, the Astros would still have glaring needs.
In the rotation, Houston is currently relying on Valdez and a trio of inexperienced arms: top prospect Hunter Brown, swingman Brandon Bielak and rookie J.P. France. Presumably, Javier will rejoin the group after the break, and the Astros have also taken looks at righties Ronel Blanco and Shawn Dubin — both currently in Triple-A. There’s minimal depth beyond that group, and France’s strong 3.26 ERA to date isn’t supported by his shakier under-the-surface numbers. Most of the team’s young arms are also already nearing last year’s season-long workload; their innings could present concerns in the final 72 games.
Adding Alvarez and his characteristically excellent .277/.388/.589 batting line (and 17 homers) back into the lineup will be an obvious boon, but the Astros likely need more help than that. Jose Altuve is back on the injured list due to an oblique strain of his own, and Houston hitters have been a middle-of-the-pack group overall. The Astros rank 10th in the Majors in runs scored (417), 17th in batting average (.247), 19th in on-base percentage (.316) and 14th in slugging percentage (.407). The only left-handed bat in the lineup with Alvarez out has been outfielder Kyle Tucker. The hope had been that Michael Brantley would make his season debut soon, but manager Dusty Baker revealed earlier this month that the veteran hitter had “plateaued” in his efforts to make it back from 2022 shoulder surgery; a timetable for his return remains unclear.
MLB To Open 2024 Season With Dodgers-Padres Series In South Korea
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced the “World Tour” schedule for the 2024 season. The ’24 campaign will kick off with a two-game series between the Padres and Dodgers in Seoul on March 20-21.
Those will be the first MLB regular season contests ever played in South Korea. The league had been slated to play four exhibition games in the nation — two in Seoul, two in Busan — over the 2022-23 offseason. That event was canceled, which MLB attributed to a contractual issue with a local promoter.
While the season-opening Korean set is the most notable development, the World Tour will also again take clubs to Mexico and the United Kingdom. The Rockies and Astros are slated for a two-game set in Mexico City on April 27-28. The Padres and Giants played there this April. MLB had previously announced a two-game set between the Mets and Phillies in London on June 8-9. The Cubs and Cardinals met in England last month.
Along with the three regular season series, MLB is sending the Rays and Red Sox to Santo Domingo for a pair of Spring Training games. The Dominican Republic exhibition contests will take place on March 9-10.
MLB and the MLBPA formed the World Tour program during the most recent round of collective bargaining. The league will schedule up to 24 regular season games and 16 Spring Training contests scattered throughout Latin America, Asia and Europe over the course of the CBA.
Brown: Astros Prioritizing Rotation Help
Astros general manager Dana Brown hasn’t been shy about his desire to add a left-handed bat to his lineup, publicly calling that his front office’s focus as recently as two weeks ago. However, asked this morning during his weekly appearance on 790 AM’s Sean Salisbury Show where he’d make an upgrade if he could only improve at one spot on his roster, the first-year GM changed course and suggested it’d be in the rotation (link contains full audio of the 11-minute interview).
“With the pitchers that we’ve had going down, it could put us in a situation where we come up short or we don’t get to that next round of the playoffs,” said Brown. “A good arm would be really, really helpful. … The problem is, there are not many good arms out there.”
[Related: Top 50 Deadline Trade Candidates]
Houston has seen more than its share of rotation injuries in 2023. Lance McCullers Jr. won’t pitch this year after undergoing flexor tendon surgery, and the ‘Stros have also lost fellow righty Luis Garcia to Tommy John surgery. Jose Urquidy has been out since late April due to a shoulder injury. And, since Brown’s last comments about prioritizing a bat, he’s revealed that ace Framber Valdez has been pitching through an ankle sprain. Meanwhile, right-hander Cristian Javier has been slumping (22 runs in his past 21 1/3 innings) and had his spot in the rotation skipped over leading into the break. Brown indicated this morning that Javier simply “needed a breather” and gave no indication that the right-hander is dealing with any sort of injury.
As it stands, the Astros are leaning on Valdez (ostensibly at less than 100%), Brandon Bielak and rookies Hunter Brown and J.P. France. Presumably, Javier will slot back into the rotation early in the second half. Houston has taken a look at right-handers Ronel Blanco and Shawn Dubin in the rotation, too. By and large, it’s a group of inexperienced starters. Outside of Brown, none of the rookies were considered particularly high-end prospects. Each of Brown, Bielak, France and Dubin is already approaching his 2022 innings total; Blanco has already exceeded last year’s workload. Urquidy has not yet begun a minor league rehab assignment.
Even with those injuries and workload concerns, Houston starters rank fourth in the Majors with a 3.74 ERA. Valdez’s outstanding year plays a large role in that collective figure, but Houston’s in-house rotation reinforcements have undeniably done a nice job in keeping the team afloat. With each rapidly approaching last year’s innings tally and with Valdez at least somewhat banged up, it’s natural to hear Brown express a desire to bolster the group.
In prior comments, Brown made clear that he’s not interested in parting with the top prospects in his system in exchange for rental players. Pitchers controlled beyond the current season could potentially fall into a different category, and if there are teams willing to put controllable arms up for sale, the Astros could be more apt to part with higher-end talent. Lucas Giolito, Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty and Michael Lorenzen are among the rental arms expected to be available, while more controllable trade candidates include Shane Bieber and Paul Blackburn. Righties Kyle Hendricks and Lance Lynn both have team options for the 2024 season, though Lynn could be trending toward a buyout. Marcus Stroman and Eduardo Rodriguez have opt-out opportunities this winter, so they’ll be treated as rentals, at best, by interested parties.
Hector Neris Reaches 110 Astros Appearances, Converts 2024 Option
Astros right-hander Hector Neris made his 110th appearance tonight since signing a two-year, $17MM deal with Houston prior to the 2022 season. Tonight’s appearance triggered a clause in that contract converts the deal’s $8.5MM team option ($1MM buyout) into a player option. Neris needed to reach either 60 appearances in 2023 or 110 appearances between 2022 and 2023 to convert the option. With tonight’s appearance in the books, the 34-year-old righty will have control of the option this coming offseason, though the Associated Press notes that if Neris ends the 2023 campaign on the injured list or fails to pass a physical after the season, the Astros will retain control of the option.
If the second half of Neris’s 2023 campaign goes as well as the first half has, the righty will surely decline the option if given the opportunity. Prior to tonight’s scoreless outing, Neris boasted a 1.47 ERA in 36 2/3 innings of work, good for a whopping 287 ERA+. Neris’s peripherals leave room for some mild concern: he sports a rather high 10.4% walk rate, has stranded a whopping 95.8% of baserunners, and has allowed a career-low .232 BABIP. Of course, the regression one might expect given those numbers is baked into advanced metrics. Those metrics are rather bullish on Neris: the righty sports a solid 3.73 FIP, an excellent 2.76 xERA and a strong 3.55 SIERA.
Neris will be entering his age-35 season in 2024, so it’s possible that his age will limit any multi-year offers he receives in free agency. Even if that turns out to be the case, however, it’s certainly feasible for Neris could surpass the $7.5MM he’d be leaving on the table by testing the open market. After all, David Robertson landed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Mets last offseason entering his age-38 campaign after posting a 2.40 ERA and 3.58 FIP in his first fully healthy season since 2018.
In the meantime, Neris figures to be the Astros’ top setup option for closer Ryan Pressly as Houston looks to defend its 2022 World Series championship. The club is currently 50-40, two games back of the Rangers for control of the AL West and one game ahead of the Yankees and Blue Jays for the second of three AL Wild Card spots.
Astros Place Jose Altuve On Injured List
4:00pm: Altuve tells Chandler Rome of The Athletic that his MRI showed good news, as the issue is more minor than he was expecting. He didn’t want to put a specific timeline on his return but said he’s hoping to be back shortly after the All-Star break, per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle.
2:35pm: The Astros announced Thursday that second baseman Jose Altuve has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to discomfort in his left oblique. The move is retroactive to July 4. Houston also optioned lefty Parker Mushinski to Triple-A Sugar Land and recalled infielder David Hensley and righty Ronel Blanco in a pair of corresponding moves. Blanco is slated to start tonight in the first of a four-game set against the division-rival Mariners.
Altuve has been out of the lineup the past couple of days after experiencing discomfort in that oblique during batting practice Tuesday. Manager Dusty Baker had already indicated that he’d be held out for a few more games, and the team will opt for a formal IL stint in order to operate with a full bench during an important series against a division rival that is within striking distance of Houston in the AL Wild Card chase. Altuve will now be out until at least next Friday, though the team hasn’t provided an expected timetable for his return. It’s possible he’ll be sidelined beyond that 10-day minimum, but it’s of at least some note that Houston didn’t list the injury as a “strain.”
It’s been a productive season for Altuve — when he’s been healthy enough to take the field, that is. This will be his second IL stint of the season, after he missed the first seven weeks of the 2023 season due to a broken thumb suffered during this year’s World Baseball Classic. Altuve, who just turned 33 a couple days ago, has posted a .264/.371/.479 batting line (138 wRC+) with six home runs, eight doubles, five steals, a 14% walk rate and a 17.5% walk rate in 143 plate appearances when healthy.
During Altuve’s prior absence, utilityman Mauricio Dubon stepped up and filled in more than capably. He’s been in a part-time role since that point but figures to pick up regular at-bats with Altuve sidelined a second time. In 284 plate appearances this season, the 28-year-old Dubon has posted a .292/.317/.417 slash with four homers, 18 doubles, two triples and five steals. He’s walked at just a 3.5% clip but has excelled at making contact, evidenced by a tiny 12% strikeout rate.
Baker: Michael Brantley Has “Plateaued” In Attempt To Rejoin Astros
Astros outfielder Michael Brantley still hasn’t played this season, repeatedly struggling to get fully back to health after last year’s shoulder surgery. Now manager Dusty Baker tells Chandler Rome of The Athletic that Brantley has “plateaued” in his attempt to come back (Twitter links). “He’s plateaued somewhat,” Baker said in response to a question of whether Brantley had increased his workload. “We want to increase it, but then we don’t want to have to go backwards either. I’d rather have it plateau for a while then increase it.”
Brantley, now 36, underwent the shoulder procedure in August of last year. He reached free agency at the end of last season and re-signed with the club on a one-year, $12MM deal with performance bonuses. Since then, he has made repeated attempts to get into game shape but has continued to hit speed bumps along the way, with the timeline continually pushed back.
He once seemed like he was going to be ready for Opening Day, but in early March, the expectation changed to “a week into the season at the worst.” He began the season on the injured list and the timeline then became that the club was hoping for a return in the “next couple of weeks.” He was sent out on a rehab assignment in late April but was shut down in early May due to inflammation. Since then, he has attempted to some baseball activities but hasn’t yet progressed enough to start another rehab assignment.
At this point, it’s very difficult to know what to make of Brantley’s current status or the likelihood of him returning to the field at all this year, let alone at his previous level of performance. The Astros are arguably the most evasive club in the league when it comes to providing health updates on their players and the ongoing Brantley saga has often been difficult to parse from the outside. While the long-term picture remains murky, today’s update seems to indicate that Brantley isn’t close to a return in the short term, since he’s still struggling to push his activities into another gear.
It’s undoubtedly frustrating both for Brantley and the Astros, who were surely hoping he could return as the consistently above-average hitter he’s been in his career. As recently as last year, prior to the surgery, he hit .288/.370/.416 through 277 plate appearances for a wRC+ of 127. But the club has been without that production at any point this year and has also seen Yordan Alvarez miss almost a month at this point due to a strained oblique.
Those two injuries have left Kyle Tucker the only left-handed bat to feature as a regular in the club’s lineup over the past few weeks and general manager Dana Brown has repeatedly highlighted another lefty bat as a deadline target. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the club is expecting Brantley to miss the remainder of the season, but perhaps the continual setbacks have made them realize that they can’t be wholly reliant on his return either.
The trade deadline is now effectively four weeks away, giving the club some time to gauge the market and continue to monitor Brantley’s progress. They are currently in possession of a Wild Card spot and figure to be making additions at that point regardless. They might also need some time to figure out who is available in trade talks, since few teams are clear-cut sellers at this point thanks to the expanded postseason and weak Central divisions.
Jeimer Candelario is a switch-hitter and should be available as an impending free agent on a rebuilding Nationals club. The Astros would likely prefer someone who can play the outfield, which Candelario has never done, but he could play the infield corners and serve as the designated hitter. Cody Bellinger could be available, though he’s struggled since coming off the injured list about three weeks ago and the Cubs are only six games back in the NL Central right now. Yasmani Grandal and Carlos Santana are switch-hitters that could be available, though both are hitting around league average so far this year, in addition to being in their mid-30s, making significant salaries and not being options for the outfield. Both of their clubs are also just 5.5 games back in their respective divisions.
The market will undoubtedly change quite a bit in the next few weeks as the on-field results push clubs in one direction or another, but the Astros seems likely to be shopping in this aisle. A return from Brantley could impact how aggressive they are in that pursuit, though it seems as though that’s not something they want to be banking on.
West Notes: Astros, Rodgers, Padres
The Astros have seen a great deal of upheaval in their rotation throughout the season, as established hurlers like Luis Garcia, Jose Urquidy, and Lance McCullers Jr. have spent much of the season on the injured list while up and comers like Hunter Brown and J.P. France have taken up roles in the rotation. In the midst of all that turmoil, left-hander Framber Valdez and right-hander Cristian Javier have stood as fixtures at the top of Houston’s rotation.
That figures to change in the coming days, however, as the club has scratched Valdez from his planned start against the Rangers tomorrow. Manager Dusty Baker indicated to reporters, including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, that Valdez had been battling with a sprained ankle since June 20 against the Mets, and the injury worsened during his last start against the Cardinals. Right-hander Shawn Dubin figures to take the ball in Valdez’s stead tomorrow, though his 10.80 ERA in five innings this season doesn’t exactly measure up to Valdez’s Cy Young-caliber performance this season.
Per Kawahara, Baker noted that Javier is still expected to make his start on Monday “as of right now” despite the fact that the right-hander is “scuffling a bit,” as indicated by his uncharacteristically lackluster 5.79 ERA in June. Chandler Rome and Eno Sarris of The Athletic suggest the Astros could push Javier’s next start back by calling up right-hander Brandon Bielak, who was scratched from his start at the Triple-A level today.
More from around MLB’s West divisions:
- The Rockies may welcome back second baseman Brendan Rodgers from surgery before the 2023 campaign comes to an end. Rodgers suffered a torn labrum during spring training that ultimately required surgery, but the 26-year-old infielder has begun to work his way back to the field, per Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. Rodgers took live batting practice for the first time today, ran the bases and took infield practice. Rodgers will report to Arizona for extended spring training after the All Star break, and manager Bud Black indicated to reporters (including Saunders) that Rodgers could return to the Rockies in August or September. That’s fantastic news for the Rockies, who have relied primarily on Harold Castro and Coco Montes at the keystone in Rodgers’ absence.
- The Padres will be without right-hander Yu Darvish tomorrow, as the veteran hurler was scratched from his start due to a bout of the flu. Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune adds that, per manager Bob Melvin, he may not be able to pitch Monday either. Who will start in Darvish’s stead tomorrow is currently unclear, though the club did recall right-hander Pedro Avila earlier today. Avila has made 13 starts at the Triple-A level this season, posting an 8.49 ERA in 46 2/3 innings of work.