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Astros Had Interest In Nick Pivetta At Trade Deadline

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The Astros had a “very high” amount of interest in Nick Pivetta prior to the trade deadline, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports.  No deal was worked out between Houston and Boston, naturally, as the Red Sox were still in contention and opted against moving Pivetta or any other impending free agents.  The Astros instead pivoted to landing Yusei Kikuchi from the Blue Jays in what was arguably the most impactful trade of deadline season, as Kikuchi’s dominance dominance since coming to Houston has been a key factor in the Astros’ run to the AL West crown.

Pivetta made his final start of the 2024 campaign yesterday, and the right-hander finishes his eighth MLB season with a 4.14 ERA over 145 2/3 innings, as well as very strong strikeout (28.9%) and walk (6.1) rates.  Pivetta’s success was limited by a propensity for allowing hard contact and a lot of home runs, but all in all, he has made a solid case for himself as he enters free agency in advance of his age-32 season.  On paper, the Astros’ mix of younger arms and veteran starters returning from injury should help the team make up for the possible departures of Kikuchi and Justin Verlander in free agency, yet the “you can never have enough pitching” cliche is a persuasive counter-argument.  Bolstering the group with a mid-tier option like Pivetta could be an attractive option to the Astros this winter.

Marwin González Retires

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Former big league player Marwin González announced he is retiring, through a press release from the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball, the club he’s played with for the past two years. Yahoo Japan had reported on his retirement plans prior to the official announcement.

“After two amazing years in Japan, it’s time for me to say goodbye,” González says in his statement. “I’m incredibly grateful to my teammates, coaches, and fans for welcoming me with open arms. Despite the language barrier, we formed a bond with ease, making every moment on the field special. Playing here has been a life-changing experience, especially getting to share it with my family. Japan will always hold a special place in our hearts. I’m filled with gratitude for the opportunity, the memories, and the friendships made along the way. Thank you for welcoming me into your world and for the endless support. You have all my respect. Arigatou gozaimasu.”

Marwin Gonzalez | Erik Williams-USA TODAY SportsGonzález, now 35, got his professional start when the Cubs signed him as an international amateur out of Venezuela and he made his minor league debut in 2006. In the 2011 Rule 5 draft, the Astros had the first pick since they were rebuilding at that time and lost 106 games that year. They used that first pick to take Rhiner Cruz from the Mets but also apparently had their eye on González. With the 23rd pick of the draft, the Red Sox took González and promptly flipped him to the Astros for Marco Duarte.

The second of those pickups ended up being far more impactful for the franchise, as Cruz tossed just 76 1/3 innings for the Astros, posting a 5.31 earned run average over the 2012 and 2013 campaigns before going into journeyman mode for the rest of his career.

González would eventually become a solid multi-positional piece for the Astros, though not right away. In 441 plate appearances over 2012 and 2013, he hit just .227/.266/.323. That production translated to a 59 wRC+, indicating he was 41% below league average. The Astros didn’t seem to mind much as they were still quite bad at that time, losing 107 and 111 games in those two seasons respectively. González was at least able to provide them defensively versatility, spending time at second base, third base and shortstop.

He was able to break out in 2014, hitting .277/.327/.400 for a wRC+ of 110. He also added first base and outfield to his defensive repertoire that year. He would continue to produce in roughly similar fashion in following seasons as the Astros emerged from their rebuild and became the perennial powerhouse that they still are today.

From 2014 to 2018, González got into 643 games for the Astros and stepped to the plate 2,265 times. He slashed .271/.328/.438 in that time for a 111 wRC+ while bouncing all around the diamond, playing everywhere except the battery.

He also got into 30 postseason games in that time, including 18 as part of the 2017 club’s World Series run, though that title is now mired in controversy with the revelation of Houston’s cheating scandal. Data from the scandal points to González as one of the biggest users of the trashcan-banging scheme. His 144 wRC+ and 4.4 wins above replacement from FanGraphs that year are both easily the bests of his career, as he otherwise never topped 111 wRC+ or 1.8 fWAR. Though he later apologized for the team’s actions, the first position player on the club to do so.

He reached free agency after 2018 and signed a two-year, $21MM deal with the Twins going into 2019. His bat dipped a bit in his first year in Minnesota, at least relative to the league. His .264/.322/.414 batting line was fairly similar to his previous five years, but 2019 was the “juiced ball” season with huge offensive numbers around the league, so González’s production led to a 94 wRC+. It fell more significantly in the shortened 2020 campaign, with González slashing .211/.286/.320.

Going into 2021, the Red Sox gave him a $3MM deal, hoping that his most recent performance was just a small sample blip in the odd circumstances of the pandemic. Unfortunately, that bet didn’t pan out, as González hit .202/.281/.285 before being released in August. He then returned to the Astros but hit just .176/.222/.441 in 14 games for them down the stretch. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees going into 2022 and got into 86 games for that club, but hit .185/.255/.321 in those.

After three consecutive rough seasons in the majors, he headed overseas. He signed with the Buffaloes going into 2023 on a deal that paid him $1.5MM. He hit .217/.266/.385 in 84 games for that club last year. He returned for 2024 but dealt with injuries and only got into 23 games, per Yakyu Cosmopolitan on X.

González will primarily be remembered for that strong run with the Astros, which will provide fond memories to some fans while others will dismiss his accomplishments due to his involvement in the electronic sign-stealing scheme.

Regardless of how one feels about that, the record books have him with 3,882 plate appearances in 1,139 major league games. He collected 888 hits, including 183 doubles and 107 home runs. He scored 420 runs and drove in 415. He slashed .252/.310/.399 for a wRC+ of 94. FanGraphs considered him to have been worth 10.9 wins above replacement while Baseball Reference credits him with 14.3 WAR. B-Ref lists his major league earnings at just over $37MM, with González likely getting that up to around $40MM with the money he made in Japan. MLBTR salutes him on his unique career and wishes him the best in whatever comes next.

Astros Notes: Bregman, Alvarez, McCormick

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Last week, Astros GM Dana Brown revealed that he hopes to talk about a new contract with third baseman Alex Bregman prior to the franchise third baseman hitting the open market this November. At the time of that interview, Brown indicated that he and Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras, had briefly talked regarding Bregman’s future and agreed to wait to begin any sort of contract discussions until “things are over.” Now, Bregman himself has chimed in and expressed a similar desire to put his impending free agency out of mind until the 2024 season has wrapped up.

“I haven’t really thought about it too much, honestly,” Bregman told reporters yesterday when asked about the possibility of leaving Houston, as relayed by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. “Just focused on trying to win a game and get this division clinched… Just been really focused on winning.”

Waiting until the end of the postseason (or for the Astros to be eliminated) before engaging in talks regarding Bregman’s future in Houston comes as something of a surprise, particularly given Brown’s long-standing commitment to talking with the third baseman and his representation before he hits free agency. With that being said, it’s not necessarily a shock from the player’s perspective that he would prefer to focus on the upcoming playoff run before turning to contract negotiations.

Generally, it’s extremely rare for players to re-up with their current club this close to free agency, particularly when it comes to stars of Bregman’s caliber. It does happen on occasion, though, as it did when the Mets retained closer Edwin Diaz on a record-breaking contract just days before free agency opened during the 2022-23 offseason. That Bregman is represented by the Boras Corporation, which has generally advised its clients to establish their values on the open market, could be another potential roadblock to a deal coming together before he hits free agency. Of course, it must be noted that Boras clients do sign extensions with their clubs on occasion; Bregman himself did so earlier in his career, and fellow third baseman Matt Chapman inked a long-term extension with the Giants earlier this month despite a return to free agency being just two months away at that point.

While Bregman’s uncertain future looms over the club in the longer term, a much more immediate concern is the status of star slugger Yordan Alvarez with the playoffs just around the corner. Alvarez exited the club’s game on Sunday due to a right knee sprain, but seemed somewhat optimistic after speaking to reporters about the issue yesterday (X video link courtesy of KHOU11’s Luis Ortiz). Alvarez said that while he’s had an easier time walking in the days since his exit, he still has to wait for the inflammation in his knee to go down before he can return to playing. That will leave him out of action for the club’s final series of the season against Guardians, as manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Kawahara) earlier today.

It’s not necessarily a surprise that the Astros would have Alvarez take the remainder of the regular season off, given his importance to the club’s hopes of making noise in the postseason. After all, Houston clinched their fourth consecutive AL West title last night with a win over the Mariners, and it is no longer possible for them to catch either the Guardians or the eventual AL East champion in order to earn a bye through the upcoming Wild Card Series. That makes the final few games of the regular season largely meaningless for the club, offering them little incentive to rush Alvarez back and potentially worsen his injury woes.

It’s unclear at this point whether or not Alvarez will be ready to return to action in time for the Wild Card series, but even if he doesn’t it’s possible he’ll be available in later postseason rounds should the Astros continue to advance. His regular season comes to a close with a career-high 147 games under his belt and a typically excellent slash line of .308/.392/.567 with a wRC+ of 167 and 35 homers in 635 trips to the plate.

It’s a similar story for outfielder Chas McCormick, who has been on the injured list due to a fractured right hand for just over two weeks now. As relayed by Kawahara, Espada told reporters that McCormick is “moving in the right direction” and “looking pretty good” despite the fact that he won’t be joining the club for its final regular season games in Cleveland. The 29-year-old has resumed baseball activities, including reps in the batting cage and drills in the outfield, and could still be an option for the Astros in next week’s Wild Card Series. McCormick had a disappointing regular season where he hit just .211/.271/.306 (66 wRC+), but he was putting together something of a hot streak in the days prior to his injury as he went 10 for his last 24 with a double, a homer, and a walk in his final eight games of the regular season.

Astros Notes: Alvarez, Gamel

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Yordan Alvarez left today’s 9-8 Astros loss to the Angels due to a right knee contusion, and manager Joe Espada said after the game (to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome and other reporters) that the slugger is “pretty sore” and will undergo testing.  While sliding into second base during a third-inning double, Alvarez banged his knee on the ground and had to be replaced by pinch-runner Mauricio Dubon.

Knee problems have bothered Alvarez for much of his career, and he had arthroscopic surgeries on both of his knees back in 2020.  The Astros have primarily used Alvarez as a DH in a nod to these knee issues, and while there isn’t yet any indication that today’s injury is anything more than a bruise, it certainly isn’t a good sign to see one of Houston’s top hitters suddenly facing a health concern just a week away from the playoffs.  Alvarez is enjoying another tremendous season, with a 35 homers and a .305/.309/.564 slash line in a career-high 636 plate appearances entering today’s action.

  • Ben Gamel was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier this week due to a fractured fibula, and in his weekly appearance on the Astros’ pregame radio show, GM Dana Brown confirmed that Gamel will “most likely” not be available for the postseason.  Between Gamel’s injury, Chas McCormick’s fractured hand, and the new uncertainty about Alvarez’s status, Houston’s outfield is suddenly facing depth issues as the playoffs approach.

Astros Place Tayler Scott On 15-Day Injured List

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The Astros announced that right-hander Tayler Scott has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a thoracic spine strain.  The placement is retroactive to September 18.  Seth Martinez was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Signed to a minor league contract last winter, Scott has been an underrated gem of an acquisition for Houston’s front office.  The righty has a 2.23 ERA and 25.2% strikeout rate over 68 2/3 innings, as well as an elite 3.5% barrel rate.  While he has had a lot of problems avoiding the free pass (12.4% walk rate), Scott has unexpectedly emerged to make the third-most appearances of any Astros pitcher this season.

These numbers were even better before Scott ran into difficulties over his last five outings, with a 6.35 ERA amassed in those 5 2/3 innings of work.  It seems quite possible that his injury contributed to this recent downturn in form, and the spinal strain has now ended his regular season.  More will be known about Scott’s status later today when manager Joe Espada meets with the media, but it certainly seems possible that Scott’s readiness for the Astros’ postseason rosters could be in jeopardy.

His first career playoff appearance would be the icing on the cake for the 32-year-old Scott, who has now established himself in his fourth Major League season.  Scott had only a 9.00 ERA in 46 career MLB innings prior to this year, all amassed with six different teams during the 2019, 2022, and 2023 seasons.  (Scott pitched for the Hiroshima Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball in 2020-21).  Despite his age, Scott doesn’t have enough MLB service time to qualify for salary arbitration until the 2025-26 offseason, and the Astros control his rights through the 2028 campaign.

Verlander Discusses Struggles, Early Return From IL

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Verlander described the process of trying to get fully right in the aftermath of this injury as the most difficult of his career, “because sometimes it’s just one thing that makes it click.”  With just one regular-season start left before the playoffs, Verlander acknowledged that he might not be part of the Astros’ postseason rotation.  While “it’s not my decision” to make, Verlander noted that “I was away for two months and all these guys were pitching fantastic.  Seen a bunch of guys really come into their own.”

  • The Angels activated Kevin Pillar from the 10-day injured list yesterday, and optioned infielder Charles Leblanc to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Pillar had been out of action since September 6 due to a left thumb sprain, and will now return for what will probably be the final games of his 12-year Major League career.  Pillar marked his activation with his eighth homer of the season in Friday’s 9-7 loss to the Astros, and the veteran is hitting .242/.300/.402 over 291 combined PA with the White Sox and Angels.

Astros Planning To Have Contract Talks With Alex Bregman

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Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is now just a few weeks away from becoming a free agent for the first time, but it seems there’s a chance he might not make it to the open market. General manager Dana Brown spoke with Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and was asked about the situation, indicating that they still hope to approach Bregman at some point in the near future.

“We were in Anaheim the other day and I ran into [agent Scott Boras] and we started talking a little bit,” Brown said. “And we both said, ‘Look, once we get towards the end of the season and things are over, we’ll definitely engage and talk about it.’ We had a small conversation about it. Right now, we’re not in any discussions about contract offers. We both agreed we will meet back up.”

Brown was hired as the GM in January of 2023 and, from the beginning, has been consistent in saying that the club planned to talk to Bregman and his reps about a new contract at some point. Bregman and the Astros agreed to a five-year, $100MM extension in 2019. When Brown was hired and began talking about the desire to get a new deal done, there were still two years left on that pact but it’s now almost complete.

Getting a deal done at this point will be challenging but not impossible. While public reputation suggests Boras clients don’t sign extensions, there are a few examples that contradict that narrative, with the most recent coming less than two weeks ago. Matt Chapman, another Boras client, agreed to a six-year, $151MM pact with the Giants to prevent him from triggering his opt-out and returning to free agency.

Bregman will have an argument to top the Chapman deal. The two players have provided similar value on the field in recent years, with Bregman generally hitting more but Chapman providing better defensive value. But Bregman is a year younger, which should give him the edge. Both players had arguably their best seasons in 2018 and 2019. They have each fallen off a bit since then but have still been solidly above average players.

Bregman was undoubtedly better at that 2018-19 apex. He hit .291/.409/.561 over those two seasons for a 162 wRC+, while Chapman was at .263/.348/.507 and a 132 wRC+. Chapman provided more with the glove but still came up short overall, producing 11.9 wins above replacement compared to Bregman’s 16.2, per FanGraphs.

Since then, it’s been almost a dead heat. From 2020 to the present, Bregman has hit .260/.350/.442 for a 124 wRC+ while Chapman has a .231/.321/.434 line and 112 wRC+. Chapman makes up some of the difference with better baserunning but mostly defense: 44 Defensive Runs Saved and 33 Outs Above Average for Chapman compared to 10 DRS and 13 OAA for Bregman. Overall, Bregman has a 17 fWAR tally in that time while Chapman is narrowly behind at 16.7.

Given that similar production, Bregman and Boras should be able to use Chapman’s deal as a floor, with Bregman’s younger age justification in asking for an even greater guarantee. That kind of contract would be pretty unprecedented for the Astros, who have generally shied away from mega deals, as shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker. They did give Jose Altuve an extension of five years and $151MM back in 2018, the largest deal in franchise history, but that deal began with Altuve’s age-29 season.

They were also near the start of their competitive window and had lots of payroll space at the time, which is no longer the case. The Astros are set to pay the competitive balance tax for the first time this year. They went over the CBT line in 2020 but the tax was paused during the pandemic and they have stayed under since.

Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the club’s CBT number is at $254MM for the year, well beyond the $237MM base threshold. Cot’s lists their 2025 number at $151MM but that doesn’t appear to include Ryan Pressly’s $14MM option, which he vested last month and is guaranteed as long as he’s healthy at season’s end. Adding that gets us to $165MM, then arbitration raises for Framber Valdez and Kyle Tucker should add roughly $35MM or so, taking the number to about $200MM. Arb deals for guys like Bryan Abreu, José Urquidy, Luis Garcia, Mauricio Dubón and others will add to that total as well.

Re-signing Bregman seems to be a priority for the club but they will naturally have other offseason business to attend to. Justin Verlander and Yusei Kikuchi are set to become free agents, putting two holes in a rotation that has already been heavily bit by the injury bug. Perhaps Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. will be healthy and in the mix by next year, but adding to the starting group could be on the winter to-do list.

Addressing the pitching staff and adding a notable deal for Bregman would likely leave the club as a tax payor for a second straight year. Paying the tax in consecutive seasons comes with escalating penalties. A second-time payor sees its base tax rate go from 20% to 30%, with higher penalties for going beyond the additional tiers.

Whether the sides can get a deal done and keep Bregman in Houston remains to be seen. The club clearly wants it to happen based on how often Brown has talked about it, but it’s also never seemed like there’s been much momentum towards meaningful discussions. Even if Bregman eventually makes it to the open market, the Astros could re-sign him, but they would naturally have competition from the other clubs around the league. MLBTR ranked Bregman third on our most recent Free Agent Power Rankings, behind only Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes. Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic mentioned the Tigers as a speculative fit for Bregman this winter.

Ben Gamel Suffers Fibula Fracture

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Ben Gamel has sustained a left fibula fracture, the Astros announced. Houston placed the outfielder on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to September 15, and recalled catcher César Salazar.

Houston didn’t provide a return timetable for Gamel, but it’s hard to envision him playing again this season. The outfielder suffered the injury in Saturday’s win over the Angels. He ran hard into the right field wall while tracking down a Mickey Moniak fly ball. Gamel stayed in the game for another inning before being lifted for pinch-hitter Jason Heyward.

He’s the second Houston outfielder lost to a broken bone within the past week. Chas McCormick went on the IL with a break in his right hand on Thursday. That leaves the Astros with an outfield comprising Kyle Tucker, Jake Meyers, Heyward, utilityman Mauricio Dubón and DH/left fielder Yordan Alvarez. Skipper Joe Espada is going with Tucker, Dubón and Heyward with Alvarez at designated hitter for tonight’s game in San Diego.

Gamel has been a productive platoon bat for the Astros. Houston grabbed him off waivers from the Mets at the end of August. He has appeared in 20 games, hitting .259/.377/.362 with a homer across 69 plate appearances. He had a good chance to crack Houston’s playoff roster (assuming they maintain their four-game lead on the Mariners in the AL West), particularly if McCormick’s injury were to linger into October.

The lefty-hitting Gamel will be a free agent this offseason. He’ll probably be limited to minor league offers but was hitting well enough in a small sample to have a shot at a guaranteed contract. That’d be a harder sell if this injury carries into the offseason.

Nori Aoki To Retire At NPB Season’s End

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Former big league outfielder and current member of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yakult Swallows Nori Aoki is set to retire following the 2024 campaign, per an announcement from the Swallows yesterday (hat tip to The Yomiuri Shimbun). Aoki, 42, spent parts of six seasons in the majors in addition to a lengthy career in Japan.

Aoki’s career first began with the Swallows back in 2004 when he debuted at the age of 22. He made it into just ten games with Yakult that year, going 3-for-15 at the plate with a walk, a stolen base, and six strikeouts. That tiny sample size did nothing to suggest what Aoki would go on to do in his first full season with the club, however, as he slashed an excellent .344/.387/.417 in 144 games during the 2005 season, becoming just the second player in NPB history (after Ichiro Suzuki) to collect 200 hits in a single season.

He improved to even greater heights throughout his mid-20s, slashing 15-to-20 homer power to go along with fantastic contact and baserunning skills. As his plate discpline developed, he even began to walk more than he struck out, leading to a dominant stretch of seasons from 2007 to 2010 where he walked at a 10.6% clip against a minuscule 9.8% strikeout rate in addition to his aforementioned solid power and impressive base-stealing abilities, and even crossed the 200-hit barrier for a second time in 2010 to become the only NPB player in history to achieve the feat twice.

Given the excellence he had demonstrated throughout his time with the Swallows, it was hardly a surprise when he was quickly snapped up by the Brewers on a two-year deal after being posted for major league clubs prior to the 2012 season. In Milwaukee, Aoki was a slightly above average hitter with a solid .287/.355/.399 slash line. While he only hit a combined 18 home runs over his two seasons with the Brewers, he swiped 50 bags while hitting 57 doubles and 7 triples in that same period. That was a strong enough performance for Milwaukee brass to pick up Aoki’s club option for the 2014 season, but he did not last the offseason with the club and was swapped to the Royals in a deal that brought lefty Will Smith to the Brewers.

After departing the Brewers, Aoki wouldn’t stick around with an MLB club for more than a season at the time for the rest of his time in stateside ball. After acting as the regular right fielder in Kansas City for the club’s AL pennant-winning 2014 season, Aoki departed in free agency to sign with the Giants but was limited to just 93 games when he suffered a broken leg and a concussion in two separate hit-by-pitch incidents. Aoki then signed a one-year deal with the Mariners in 2016 but began to show some signs of decline, notably stealing only seven bases in sixteen attempts with the worst strikeout and walk numbers of his MLB career, though he did display his best power numbers since his rookie 2012 campaign with the Brewers.

Aoki’s final season in the big leagues came back in 2017 and saw him change uniforms several times. The veteran outfielder was claimed off waivers from the Mariners by the Astros during the 2016-17 offseason. Aoki struggled somewhat through 70 games with Houston, however, and ended up traded to the Blue Jays at the deadline that year alongside Teoscar Hernandez in a deal that brought Francisco Liriano to Houston. Aoki managed to catch fire down the stretch, however, and while his playing time was further split between the Blue Jays and Mets over the final two months of the season he slashed .281/.294/.594 for Toronto in August before slashing .284/.371/.373 in Queens that September.

Following the end of his MLB career, Aoki returned home to the Swallows and has played for the club in each of the past seven seasons. Now 42, the veteran is the league’s oldest active player and has collected more than 7,000 plate appearances with a .313/.392/.445 slash line in 1,713 NPB games. Between NPB and MLB play, Aoki has stepped up to the plate more than 10,000 times with 2,765 hits, 470 doubles, 51 triples, 179 homers and 279 stolen bases. We at MLBTR congratulate Aoki on a fine career and wish him all the best in his post-playing pursuits.

Chas McCormick Suffers Fractured Hand

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10:15am: The Astros have now formally placed McCormick on the injured list. They also optioned righty Nick Hernandez to Triple-A. Infielder Grae Kessinger and lefty Bryan King were recalled from Triple-A in a pair of corresponding moves.

10:05am: Astros outfielder Chas McCormick is headed to the 10-day injured list with a small fracture in his right hand, he told the team’s beat last night (video link via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). He suffered the injury upon colliding with the outfield fence while pursuing a foul ball. The fracture, located “right underneath” McCormick’s index finger, is “not a serious thing” and is small enough that the outfielder is still hoping to return this season. There are just 17 days left on the regular season schedule, though another deep postseason run for Houston could obviously make that return more feasible.

The team has yet to formally announce the IL placement, though that’ll happen before today’s day game against the A’s. A corresponding move will be announced at the time. With McCormick on the shelf, Houston’s outfield mix will consist of Yordan Alvarez, Jake Meyers, Jason Heyward and Ben Gamel — plus any potential call-up who takes his roster spot. Star right fielder Kyle Tucker has played exclusively as a designated hitter and pinch-hitter since returning from a monthslong absence due to what was originally termed a bone bruise but eventually revealed to be a fractured shin. He’s collected two hits in 16 plate appearances.

The timing of the injury is frustrating for McCormick — “disappointing” to use his own words. The 28-year-old has been struggling through the worst season of his professional career and was even optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land last month, only to return just days later when Meyers was placed on the paternity list. McCormick doubled in his first game back, collected two hits in his second game and has played well enough since that brief minor league assignment that manager Joe Espada has been playing him regularly.

McCormick has tallied three multi-hit games in the past week and told the ’Stros beat the he was “feeling like [him]self finally” at the plate when the injury happened. It’s obviously a minuscule sample, but he’s hitting .417/.440/.583 over his past 25 trips to the plate. That’s only boosted his season slash to .211/.271/.306, but he was obviously trending in the right direction.

Only time will tell whether McCormick can indeed make it back this season. He’s at the mercy of how quickly the small break in his hand mends and at how deep his teammates can progress in the postseason (assuming they indeed qualify; FanGraphs gives them a 94% chance to do so at the moment). Every injury plays out differently, however, and it’s not yet clear who Houston will face in the event that they do indeed reach the playoffs for a ninth straight season.

Prior to this year’s dreadful campaign, McCormick was a quietly productive member of a perennial World Series contender in Houston. He batted .273/.353/.489 with a career-high 22 homers in 2023 and entered the current season as a lifetime .259/.336/.449 hitter with particularly formidable numbers against lefties and quality defensive ratings across all three outfield spots. McCormick is earning $2.85MM and is controlled for two more seasons via arbitration.

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