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Poll: AL MVP Race Check-In

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While days off and postponements leave clubs around the league without a uniform number of games played, one of the games in this week’s slate will represent the halfway point in the season for every team across MLB. With an MVP set to be crowned in both leagues after the season, that means two players are already halfway through a year that will earn them the sport’s most prestigious individual award. Who are the frontrunners to claim the trophy for themselves this offseason? We’ll be looking at both leagues over the next two days, starting with the American League:

Aaron Judge

Major stars like Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Kyle Tucker have migrated to the National League in recent years, but Judge would arguably have entered the season as the odds-on favorite even if he were still competing with them. The slugger already won the MVP award in both 2022 and ’24. Ohtani won back-to-back MVP awards in 2023 and ’24, but those were for two different teams in two different leagues. Judge would be the first player to win back-to-back MVPs in the same league since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and ’13. Uncommon as the feat may be, Judge seems well positioned to pull it off. His .367/.468/.727 (225 wRC+) slash line is nothing short of comical, and he already has an absurd 6.0 WAR season according to Fangraphs through just 77 games.

That’s a higher total than stars like Jackson Merrill and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were able to cobble together in a full slate of games last year, and it’s hard to argue with those numbers. Dominant as Judge has been, however, it must be pointed out that he’s currently benefiting from an eye-popping .453 BABIP. That figure is 100 points higher than his career mark, which is already at the high end of the spectrum for sustainable BABIP figures. It would be the highest BABIP by a qualified player since 1871 if he were to maintain it over a full season, and just the second time a player posted a BABIP of even .400 since 2002, joining Yoan Moncada’s 2019 campaign.

Cal Raleigh

If anyone has a chance to challenge Judge for the title, Raleigh likely has the best shot. He’s hit a whopping 31 home runs this season to capture the MLB-wide lead, and his .276/.383/.659 (191 wRC+) slash line is almost as incredible as that of Judge. Raleigh’s 5.1 fWAR is second in the majors to Judge as well, and he’s even managed to chip in on the bases by swiping nine bags in 11 opportunities. Of course, the most impressive thing about Raleigh’s season is that he’s doing all of this while playing the game’s most taxing defensive position. He’s caught 58 of the 75 games he’s appeared in, and if he keeps this up over the full season he’d surpass legendary seasons by Buster Posey in 2012 and Johnny Bench in 1972 to put together the best season behind the plate in MLB history.

The biggest obstacle to Raleigh turning this first-half momentum into an MVP win is, of course, Judge. While Raleigh has the edge in terms of baserunning, defense, home runs, and strikeout rate, Judge is leading in WAR, wRC+, walk rate, all three triple slash categories, and games played. There’s no question about whose season has been more productive when stripping away the context of Raleigh’s position, and Judge might need to cool off significantly in the second half just for their numbers to be comparable when all is said and done.

Bobby Witt Jr.

After finishing second to Judge in 2024 AL MVP voting with a stellar campaign, Witt is back at it this year with another banner year. His elite shortstop glove has made him the second most valuable defender in baseball according to Fangraphs, and he’s already stolen 21 bases after swiping just 31 total last year. With that being said, the power that allowed him to swat 32 homers last year has taken a big step back. The drop off in power has left him with a .286/.343/.490 (123 wRC+) slash line that’s well above average but not quite MVP-caliber, and he would likely need to turn things up a notch in the second half and benefit from steps backward by Judge and Raleigh in order to have a chance at coming home with the trophy.

Jeremy Pena

Perhaps the most surprising entrant into this list, Pena has never so much as made an All-Star appearance in his career but is in the midst of an incredible season. He’s slashed .326/.380/.493 (149 wRC+) in 78 games so far this year with 11 homers and 15 steals in 17 attempts alongside an excellent 16.1% strikeout rate. That wRC+ is seventh-highest among qualified AL hitters, and Pena benefits further from playing a valuable defensive position in shortstop. With that being said, he’s not quite on the level of Witt defensively and his .365 BABIP is elevated well outside the range of his career norms. Like Witt, he’ll likely need a massive slowdown in production from Judge and Raleigh in order to be a serious contender for the award this year.

Other Options

Judge, Raleigh, Witt, and Pena are all more or less in a class of their own at this point in the season, and even Witt and Pena would need a lot to go right in order for them to catch the two front-runners. With that being said, there are some other at least plausible candidates. Tarik Skubal continues to dominate on the mound and his 3.9 fWAR tally matches that of Witt and Pena. Jose Ramirez remains as consistent as ever and could put up another 30-30 season this year. Jonathan Aranda has been one of baseball’s best hitters this year but doesn’t play a premium position. Byron Buxton has flashed all five tools this year with strong defense, elite speed, and a 155 wRC+ but will have trouble garnering much attention with just 60 games played so far.

Who do you think will ultimately come out on top in AL MVP voting? Will Judge reign supreme once again, or could another challenger like Raleigh step up to claim the trophy? Have your say in the poll below:

Brown: Astros Exploring Market For Left-Handed Bats

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Even as the Astros have lost 60% of their rotation to the injured list, they not only remain in contention — they hold a relatively commanding five-game lead over the second-place Mariners in the American League West. It’s shaping up to be another deadline focused on adding talent, and general manager Dana Brown candidly indicated yesterday in a radio appearance on SportsTalk 790 AM that he hopes to add a left-handed bat prior to the July 31 trade deadline (link via Chandler Rome of The Athletic). Brown acknowledged that there are other items on his wishlist but called a left-handed bat the “big issue.”

It’s stating the obvious, in many ways. With Yordan Alvarez out indefinitely due to a small fracture in his hand — an injury originally announced as inflammation — the only left-handed bat in the Astros’ lineup is switch-hitting catcher Victor Caratini. Backup catcher César Salazar, utility infielder Luis Guillorme and switch-hitting catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel are all on the bench as left-handed options. Just minutes before this was published, the ’Stros also reinstated outfielder Taylor Trammell from the injured list and optioned infielder/outfielder Shay Whitcomb, giving them another lefty bat off the bench.

Brown didn’t list a specific position at which he hopes to add a left-handed hitter. The Astros’ least-productive spots on the diamond, by measure of wRC+, have been first base, second base, left field and designated hitter. First base is being manned by Christian Walker after he signed a three-year, $60MM contract in the offseason. He’s not likely to lose his job anytime soon. The struggles at the other three positions are all intertwined.

Jose Altuve has taken up the lion’s share of playing time in left field this year and has graded as one of the game’s worst defenders there. Defensive Runs Saved has him last in the majors among left fielders. Statcast’s Outs Above Average has him “only” tied for fifth-worst, but many of the people surrounding him have played more innings. On a rate basis, he’s close  to the bottom. Those struggles aren’t exactly surprising; Altuve is learning left field on the fly at 35 years of age — but the reason he’s doing so is because his glovework at second base had deteriorated so much. He’s also graded poorly at second in limited time this season. Altuve could, in theory, be moved to designated hitter — but Alvarez will return at some point. Houston could up Alvarez’s time in left field, but he’s not a great defender himself and the Astros have limited his reps in the outfield due to a history of knee troubles.

There’s not necessarily one clean spot where Houston can acquire a left-handed bat and plug said hitter into the lineup on an everyday basis at that singular position. That’s just emblematic of how teams operate these days, though. Most clubs rotate players through multiple positions as opposed to the bygone era of set starting players at every position on the diamond. There are a few players who’ll be regularly penciled into the same spot regardless of matchup on every team, of course, but not entire lineups constructed in that manner.

Broadly speaking, it might behoove the Astros to target a left-handed bat who can play both the infield and the outfield. That could mean less playing time for Altuve, Walker, utilityman Mauricio Dubon and right fielder Cam Smith, but no one from that group would see his at-bats erode entirely.

It’s still too early for many clubs around the league to make determinations on buying and selling, but someone like switch-hitting utilityman Willi Castro would be a nice fit in Houston if the Twins can’t escape their recent tailspin and wind up selling some rental players. The Rays are typically willing to engage on their more expensive veteran players, regardless of contention status, and they’re nearing the end of their commitment to Brandon Lowe (signed through 2025 with an $11.5MM club option for 2026). The Cardinals are too close to playoff contention right now to consider it, but Brendan Donovan is the type of player who could benefit the Astros. Those, to be clear, are speculative suggestions but are the sorts of players whose skill sets would gel with the Astros’ roster as currently constructed.

Any talk of Houston adding to the roster should be accompanied by a payroll caveat. Astros owner Jim Crane is reportedly loath to exceed the luxury tax for a second straight season. He’s publicly suggested that he’d do so in the right scenario — an Alex Bregman this past offseason appeared to be such a case, for instance — but the team’s actual actions and reporting from the Houston beat all strongly suggest staying under the $241MM tax threshold is a priority. The Astros, knowing a Kyle Tucker extension would stretch well beyond Crane’s comfort levels, traded him to the Cubs this past offseason. They also dumped a good portion of Ryan Pressly’s contract in separate swap with the Cubs later in the winter — a move that dipped them back under the tax threshold.

An April trade with the Braves in which Houston surprisingly found a taker for $3MM of the remaining commitment to Rafael Montero could prove pivotal this summer. The Astros had been about $2.5MM shy of the tax threshold at that point. RosterResource now estimates them to be about $5.5MM away, giving Brown a good bit of additional leeway as he seeks to add some left-handed balance to his lineup.

Astros Sign Jon Singleton To Minors Contract

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The Astros have reunited with first baseman Jon Singleton on a minor league contract, The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reports.  Singleton had been a free agent since the Mets released him from a previous minors deal earlier this week.

This marks the third separate stint for Singleton with the Astros.  Initially obtained in a trade with the Phillies back in July 2011, Singleton rose to prominence as a highly-touted prospect in Houston’s farm system, and even signed a five-year extension worth $10MM in guaranteed money before he had even made his MLB debut.  However, Singleton didn’t live up to those big expectations, and hit .171/.290/.331 over 420 plate appearances in 2014-15 before disappearing off the big league map for the better part of a decade.  He didn’t play at all from 2018-20 as he served a 100-game suspension and battled substance abuse problems, and then played in the Mexican League in 2021 and then back in affiliated ball in the Brewers’ farm system in 2022.

Returning to the Show with Milwaukee in 2023, Singleton was released partway through that season and returned to Houston for the next two years.  Singleton ended up receiving quite a bit of playing time at first base in the wake of Jose Abreu’s struggles and eventual release partway through the 2024 campaign, and Singleton hit a respectable .234/.321/.386 with 13 homers over 405 PA in 2024.  This offensive production translated to a decent 105 wRC+, but Singleton was still a -0.1 fWAR player overall due to a lack of glovework or baserunning.

Christian Walker’s signing seemingly locked down the Astros’ first base position for the next three years, and Houston released Singleton at the end of Spring Training prior to Singleton landing with the Mets about a week later.  Despite an upward mobility clause Singleton triggered in his minors deal in May, New York never called up him to the big leagues, and the Mets eventually decided to part ways entirely with the infielder.

Though Walker hasn’t hit up to expectations, there isn’t much chance Singleton will be stepping back into regular duty at first base.  With seven position players currently on the injured list, the Astros are thin on experienced roster depth, so Singleton provides a familiar face and some experience at Triple-A Sugar Land.  Singleton is also a left-handed hitter, which could get him a relatively quick call to the Show to help out an Astros lineup that is very heavy in right-handed bats.

Brewers Trade Wes Clarke To Astros

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The Brewers traded minor league first baseman Wes Clarke to the Astros, reports Francys Romero. He was not on the Brewers’ 40-man roster and will not occupy a roster spot with Houston. It’s not clear what Milwaukee received in exchange, though most trades of this nature are typically for cash considerations.

Clarke, 25, was a 10th-round draftee in 2021. A college catcher at South Carolina, he has moved off the position to full-time first base/designated hitter work this year. Clarke showed big power in college and hit 26 home runs in Double-A two seasons ago. He ranked among Milwaukee’s top 20 prospects at Baseball America going into the ’24 campaign as a result. His stock has dropped since then, as his already high strikeout rates reached untenable levels since he was promoted to Triple-A Nashville.

The righty-hitting Clarke posted a .243/.340/.458 mark with 18 homers in 87 contests last year. That’s a solid enough slash line, but he struck out in more than 35% of his plate appearances. Clarke has slightly improved the strikeout rate this year (30.2%) but has dropped to a .216/.352/.358 slash with six longballs in 182 trips to the dish. His exit velocities aren’t much different from last season, so perhaps the Astros feel he’s been a bit unlucky on batted balls. Clarke has plus power and an extremely patient approach, but the swing-and-miss and limited defensive value make for a difficult profile.

Astros Notes: Melton, Rotation, McCullers

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The Astros placed top prospect and rookie outfielder Jacob Melton on the 10-day injured list due to a right ankle sprain over the weekend, but he’ll apparently be out a fair bit longer than the 10-day minimum. General manager Dana Brown has said since Melton’s IL placement that he expects the 24-year-old to require around four weeks to recover from the sprain (link via Chandler Rome of The Athletic). That could keep Melton out through the All-Star break.

Houston’s second-round pick in 2022, Melton has appeared in 11 big league games so far and batted .241/.290/.310 with a strikeout rate just under 39%. It’s not a good start to what the Astros hope will be a lengthy big league career, but it’s hardly uncommon to see even well-regarded prospects struggle like this in their first exposure to major league pitching. Melton missed some time with a back injury early in the season but played in 17 Triple-A games prior to his promotion, hitting .254/.371/.508 with a huge 15.5% walk rate against a 21.1% strikeout rate (11 walks, 15 punchouts in 71 plate appearances).

With Melton now joining Zach Dezenzo and Yordan Alvarez on the injured list, Houston’s outfield depth is again being tested. The ’Stros have Jose Altuve in left, Jake Meyers in center and Cam Smith in right. Altuve has hit well but struggled with the defensive transition from second base to left field, logging ugly grades from metrics like Outs Above Average (-3) and Defensive Runs Saved (-8). Smith has held his own, producing league-average offense overall (despite a recent slump) and taking nicely to his own move from the infield to the outfield (4 OAA, 9 DRS). Meyers, always a quality defender, is once again playing well in center field while also enjoying a career year at the plate.

So long as that trio holds up, the Astros should be able to weather the injury storm, but the depth options at this point are thin. Cooper Hummel is back in the big leagues in a reserve capacity. Pedro León, Chas McCormick and Taylor Trammell are all on the injured list at the moment. Trammell is currently on a rehab stint in Triple-A and could soon be an option, but León was pulled from his own rehab stint earlier this month due to a knee issue. McCormick landed on the IL at the end of May due to an oblique strain and has not yet been cleared to play in rehab games.

Shay Whitcomb and Kenedy Corona are the only two position players in the minors who are on Houston’s 40-man roster. Both can play in the outfield, but Whitcomb has spent more time in the infield this season and Corona isn’t hitting well at all in Triple-A.

The outfield isn’t the only area of Houston’s roster being put to the test, of course. The Astros’ rotation still has its two stars atop the staff, Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez, but the rest of the group isn’t nearly as accomplished. Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski have already undergone Tommy John surgery. Spencer Arrighetti is working back from a broken thumb on his pitching hand. Cristian Javier (2024 Tommy John surgery), Luis Garcia (2023 Tommy John surgery, plus multiple setbacks) and J.P. France (2024 shoulder surgery) are all still months from being factors.

Lance McCullers Jr.’s return has been a boon. Outside of one awful start, he’s been a steadying presence to held patch things over, but now he’s sidelined by a foot sprain. The Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara writes that manager Joe Espada has expressed hope that McCullers can return after the 15-day minimum, but Kawahara characterized that as nothing more than “initial optimism.” The Astros are notoriously opaque when it comes to health updates on their injured players, so it’s hard to get a clear sense for when McCullers might come back.

In the meantime, rookie Ryan Gusto stepped up with a nice effort yesterday, and (per Kawahara) recently recalled righty Jason Alexander will start today’s game. Alexander is a journeyman waiver claim, but he’s pitched well in Triple-A since the Astros claimed him from the Athletics. If he handles himself well against his former A’s teammates, he could stick around a bit longer, particularly given the lack of healthy depth options. Righty AJ Blubaugh is on the 40-man roster but is sitting on a 7.66 ERA in Triple-A. No other starters are on the Astros’ 40-man in the upper minors; they have several relief arms on the 40-man and could add prospect Miguel Ullola, although his sharp 3.33 ERA in Triple-A belies a more problematic 15.2% walk rate.

The Astros, unsurprisingly, plan to target starting pitching ahead of next month’s trade deadline. For now, they’ll proceed with Valdez, Brown, Gusto, Colton Gordon and Brandon Walter. The latter three are all rookies. Neither Gusto nor Gordon had pitched in the majors prior to 2025. Walter, who’ll turn 29 in September, is a former Red Sox prospect who signed a minor league deal this past offseason and has looked excellent through his first three starts.

Astros Place Lance McCullers Jr. On IL With Foot Sprain

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The Astros have placed right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. on the 15-day injured list due to a right foot sprain, retroactive to June 13th. Fellow righty Jason Alexander has been recalled to take his place on the active roster. McCullers was scheduled to start today’s game but Ryan Gusto will get the ball instead. Chandler Rome of The Athletic was among those to relay the info.

To this point, the Astros haven’t provided any information about how the injury occured or how long they expect McCullers to be out of action. In his most recent start, he tossed 96 pitches over five innings. Up until this announcement of his IL placement, he was listed as the starter for tonight’s game in West Sacramento.

More information will presumably be forthcoming but it’s a notable development regardless. For McCullers personally, he’s looking to get back on track after a lengthy absence. He missed all of 2023 and 2024, and most of 2022, due to elbow issues. He was reinstated from the IL about six weeks ago for his first major league action in over two years. He has since made seven starts with a 4.91 earned run average, though most of the damage came in his second start when he allowed seven earned runs to the Reds while only recording one out.

Now he’s set for another injury absence. On the bright side, it has nothing to do with his elbow, though it’s a setback nonetheless. Perhaps it will turn out to be a fine reset. Since he has thrown so little over the past few years, he wasn’t going to suddenly throw 200 innings in 2025. Ideally, this will be just a minor issue that will let him catch his breath before he picks things back up.

But it will be a situation to monitor given his history and the club’s larger pitching situation. McCullers is now the seventh starter on Houston’s injured list, with the others mostly facing lengthy absences. Both Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski required Tommy John surgery in the past month. Luis Garcia has been struggling to get healthy since his own Tommy John surgery in 2023. Cristian Javier had his TJS in June of last year and could perhaps be an option later in the year. J.P. France is recovering from last year’s shoulder surgery with an uncertain timeline. Spencer Arrighetti has a fractured thumb and also has a murky path forward.

Despite all of those injuries, the Astros have been performing well, with a 41-30 record that puts them 4.5 games up in the American League West. Without McCullers, the challenge of keeping the rotation in viable shape will grow.

The Astros have Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown as two strong performers at the front of the rotation, though it now appears that three very inexperienced arms will be backing up that duo. Colton Gordon, Brandon Walter and Gusto have thrown a combined 120 2/3 innings in the majors between the three of them.

Gusto was originally planned to start tomorrow’s game but will now bump up to today. The Astros have TBA listed as tomorrow’s starter, with Valdez still listed for Wednesday. Perhaps that means there will be some kind of bullpen game tomorrow with Alexander factoring in heavily. He has been starting at the Triple-A level and could cover multiple innings.

It’s already been reported that the Astros will be looking for starting pitching help prior to next month’s trade deadline. The McCullers injury, whether it proves to be serious or not, should only add to that desire.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images

Rays Acquire Forrest Whitley

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June 16: The Rays announced today that Whitley has been added to the club’s active roster with righty Mason Englert optioned to Triple-A Durham as the corresponding active roster move.

June 13: The Astros announced that they have traded right-hander Forrest Whitley to the Rays in exchange for cash considerations. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com first reported that Whitley was going to the Rays while Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported the cash return. The Rays’ 40-man roster count climbs from 38 to 39. Since Whitley is out of options, they will need to open an active roster spot once he reports to the team.

Whitley, 27, is a complete wild card at this point. Selected 17th overall in the 2016 draft, he put up huge numbers in the lower minor league levels as a teenager, working around a 50-game drug suspension going into 2018. His performance vaulted him towards the top of prospect lists. Going into 2019, Baseball America ranked him #5 overall and the top pitcher on the list.

He has hit a number of speed bumps since then, largely due to injuries. Shoulder problems seemed to hamper him in 2019, as he finished that year with a combined 7.99 earned run average across various minor league levels. The minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic in 2020. He required Tommy John surgery in March of 2021, wiping out that season and most of the following year. He got back on the mound in 2022 but showed plenty of rust, posting a 6.53 ERA over his 40 minor league innings. In 2023, a lat strain limited him to 30 minor league innings with a 5.70 ERA.

The Astros added Whitley to their 40-man roster in November of 2020, to protect him from being exposed in the Rule 5 draft. He used up three options in those 2021-23 seasons. The Astros were granted a fourth option for 2024 but the clock was ticking, so they moved him to the bullpen.

He showed some promise in that role last year. He logged 34 innings at the Triple-A level with a 2.12 ERA. His 11.6% walk rate was high but he struck out 31.5% of batters faced and got grounders at a 55% clip. He also made his major league debut, logging 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

He came into 2025 out of options and started the season on the injured list, this time due to a bone bruise in his left knee. He was reinstated from the IL on April 19th but went back on the shelf on April 27th due to a left knee sprain. He was reinstated in late May but didn’t last long before the Astros decided to give up and designated him for assignment. Around those IL stints, he has thrown 7 1/3 innings this year with ten earned runs allowed. He struck out eight opponents but gave out six walks, hit another batter and threw a wild pitch.

Whitley’s future is anyone’s guess at this point. The talent that made him the top prospect in baseball may be in there somewhere. He still averages in the upper 90s with his fastballs. But he’s now out of options and has proved so little. His major league track record consists of just 10 2/3 innings, which haven’t been especially impressive. He was good in the minors last year but has otherwise been hurt and/or ineffective.

The Rays have a strong reputation when it comes to developing pitchers, so it’s a good landing spot for him. However, they are also a contender, currently holding one of the three American League Wild Card spots. Since Whitley is out of options, he will have to produce some results in order to stick on the roster. If he does, the Rays can cheaply retain him for years to come. He came into 2025 with just six days of major league service time, meaning he can’t get to arbitration until after 2027 and isn’t slated for free agency until after the 2030 season. But as mentioned, those will be moot points if he can’t right the ship.

Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images

Astros Place Jacob Melton On 10-Day Injured List

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The Astros announced five roster moves today, including outfielder Jacob Melton’s placement on the 10-day injured list due to a right ankle sprain.  Shay Whitcomb was also optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land, and as reported earlier, Houston selected the contracts of both Cooper Hummel and Luis Guillorme from Triple-A to fill the two open spots on the active roster.  The Astros had one 40-man roster spot already available, and to create the other, Spencer Arrighetti was moved from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.

Melton’s injury occurred in yesterday’s 10-3 Astros win over the Twins, spoiling what was looking like a great game for the rookie after he went 2-for-2 with three RBI in his first two plate appearances.  In the top of the fourth inning, however, Melton turned his ankle while preparing to field what ended up being a homer from Minnesota’s Willi Castro.

“When I realized that I wasn’t going to have a play on it, tried to back off the wall and get turned around and get squared up with where I thought it was going to hit and just kind of rolled it, landed on it a little awkward,” Melton told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters.  “Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ll play the cards that I’m dealt.”

Melton finished the inning but was replaced in left field by Whitcomb prior to the top of the fifth.  Called up to make his MLB debut on June 1, Melton has hit only .241/.290/.310 over his first 31 PA against big league pitching, though he provided respectable defense and filled a hole amidst an injury-riddled outfield situation for Houston.  Unfortunately, Melton has now gone down to injury himself, joining fellow outfielders Yordan Alvarez, Chas McCormick, Zach Dezenzo, Taylor Trammell, and Pedro Leon on the 10-day IL.

If this wasn’t enough, Isaac Paredes is battling a mild hamstring strain, leaving the Astros temporarily without their starting third baseman.  Guillorme can play all over the infield and Hummel figures to get some time in both corner outfield slots as Houston figures out how to best juggle their roster and perhaps prepare for another call-up if Paredes also requires an IL stint.

Arrighetti fractured his right thumb more than two months ago, so he has already been sidelined for 60 days while remaining on the 15-day IL.  His move to the 60-day IL is therefore just a paper transaction that frees up a 40-man roster spot for the Astros, and Arrighetti is expected to be out for several weeks more, through he has resumed playing catch.

Astros To Select Cooper Hummel

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The Astros will select the contract of outfielder/first baseman Cooper Hummel from Triple-A Sugar Land, according to KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander.  Now in his second stint in the Astros organization, Hummel rejoined the club on a minor league deal last week.

Hummel’s first stint ended when the Astros designated him for assignment on Opening Day, and Hummel rejected an outright assignment and elected free agency after clearing waivers.  This set off a bit of a transactional whirlwind for Hummel over the next two-plus months until he returned to Houston, as Hummel signed a minor league contract with the Yankees and two separate contracts with the Orioles.  He triggered an out clause in his deal with New York when the Yankees didn’t include him on their active roster by late May, and Hummel twice elected free agency in lieu of outright assignments off of Baltimore’s 40-man roster.  Hummel is out of minor league options, resulting in this flurry of roster shuffles.

Through it all, Hummel’s actual on-field play in 2025 consists of a single at-bat with the Orioles (as a late-game sub on May 30 in a 2-1 win over the White Sox) and 16 games with the Yankees’ and Astros’ Triple-A affiliates.  Hummel has been hitting quite well in the minors, with a .273/.382/.473 slash line over 68 Triple-A plate appearances this season.  This solid performance is actually a step down from his usual numbers, as Hummel has a career .284/.418/.480 slash in 1487 trips to the dish against Triple-A pitching.

As much as Hummel has been crushing it in the minors, however, he hasn’t received much of a look at the big league level.  Hummel has hit .159/.254/.274 over 236 career PA in the majors, with 201 of those plate appearances coming in his 2022 rookie season with the Diamondbacks.  He began his career as a part-time catcher in addition to being a backup outfielder, though he hasn’t suited up behind the plate since 2023.  Hummel has also been limited to just corner outfield duty this season without any work at first base, and Christian Walker’s presence at first in Houston probably means Hummel will stick to the outfield during his time with the Astros.

Houston will need to make room on both the 26-man and 40-man roster to accommodate Hummel — the club has an open 40-man spot at the moment, but reports from yesterday indicated that Luis Guillorme’s contract is also being selected.  Taylor Trammell and Pedro Leon have each yet to play this season but have remained on the 10-day injured list, so the Astros could simply shift either of them to the 60-day IL to create space for Hummel.

In terms of the 26-man roster moves, both Isaac Paredes (hamstring strain) and Jacob Melton (ankle sprain) could be candidates for the 10-day injured list.  Manager Joe Espada told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters that both players are considered day-to-day for now, but Espada indicated that Melton had the more severe injury of the two.  The Astros are also carrying three catchers on their active roster, so little-used backup Cesar Salazar could be optioned to Triple-A.

Astros To Select Luis Guillorme

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The Astros will select infielder Luis Guillorme onto the MLB roster tomorrow, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Houston has an open 40-man roster spot after designating Forrest Whitley for assignment and trading him to Tampa Bay. They’ll need to make an active roster move.

Guillorme has spent the entire season at Triple-A Sugar Land on a minor league contract. The lefty-hitting infielder owns a .245/.376/.310 line across 242 plate appearances. He has walked in 17% of his trips against a 19% strikeout rate, but he only has a pair of home runs. That’s in line with Guillorme’s track record. He’s a patient hitter with good contact skills and bottom-of-the-scale power.

A career .251/.336/.322 hitter over parts of seven MLB seasons, Guillorme is valued most highly for his defense. He has ample experience at each of the three infield spots to the left of first base. He hasn’t played much shortstop this year in the minors, though he won’t be needed there in the majors either because of Jeremy Peña. Guillorme can push Brendan Rodgers for playing time at the keystone while offering short-term insurance as Isaac Paredes navigates an injury.

Paredes left last night’s game with left hamstring discomfort. He didn’t play tonight; Mauricio Dubón drew into the lineup at the hot corner. Manager Joe Espada told the Houston beat that Paredes has been diagnosed with a strain but it’s seemingly mild, as he added that the team believes the infielder will avoid the injured list (relayed by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com).

The corresponding active roster move may be an IL stint for rookie outfielder Jacob Melton. The 24-year-old sprained his right ankle during tonight’s game, Espada said. Houston will have Jose Altuve, Jake Meyers and Cam Smith as their starting outfield but may need to use Dubón more often as a fourth outfielder with Melton out.

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