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AL Injury Notes: Astros, Red Sox, Jays, Tigers

By Connor Byrne | September 11, 2019 at 12:54am CDT

Let’s check in on a few notable injury situations from the American League…

  • Astros reliever Ryan Pressly is closing in on a return, manager A.J. Hinch revealed Tuesday (Twitter links via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). The first-place club has been without Pressly, likely its premier reliever, since he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Aug. 22. Expectations then were that Pressly would miss four to six weeks, so it looks as if he’ll come back at the low end of that timeline (if not sooner). In further welcome news for the Astros, shortstop Carlos Correa could join Triple-A Round Rock for a rehab game Friday. The star went down at roughly the same time as Pressly because of a back ailment, though it now appears the two will get back with time to spare before the playoffs as Houston goes for its second championship since 2017.
  • Red Sox left-hander David Price is “feeling better, little by little,” as he works back from a wrist injury, manager Alex Cora said Tuesday (via Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald). Although the Red Sox’s playoff hopes are dashed, Price still plans to pitch again this season. After that, though, he may need to undergo a minor surgery to repair the issue, Hewitt reports. Price’s wrist has been a problem since last month, having limited him to two appearances and a combined 4 2/3 innings since the end of July.
  • The Blue Jays are likely to activate reliever Elvis Luciano from the injured list Wednesday or Thursday, Scott Mitchell of TSN suggests. Luciano, whom the Jays took in last winter’s Rule 5 Draft, would then have enough time to meet the required 90 days on their active roster. If that happens, it’s likely he’ll begin next season at the Double-A level, Mitchell notes. This has been a trying season in the bigs for Luciano, who has been out since the first half of June with a sprained right elbow. Before that, he posted an unappealing 7.16 ERA with more walks (23) than strikeouts (22) in 27 2/3 innings. Of course, considering the 19-year-old Luciano is the youngest player in the majors and hadn’t even pitched above rookie ball before this season, it’s no surprise he has experienced adversity in his first MLB go-around.
  • Tigers utilityman Niko Goodrum is reportedly unlikely to return this season, though he hasn’t given up on a potential late-season comeback, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News tweets. Goodrum hasn’t played in nearly three weeks thanks to an adductor strain, which has taken away a much-needed bright spot for the struggling Tigers. The uber-versatile 27-year-old has slashed .248/.322/.421 with 12 home runs, a dozen steals and 1.9 fWAR across 472 plate appearances.
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Boston Red Sox Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Notes Toronto Blue Jays Carlos Correa David Price Elvis Luciano Niko Goodrum Ryan Pressly

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Quick Hits: Astros, Correa, Suzuki, Haniger, Buxton

By George Miller | September 8, 2019 at 3:58pm CDT

The Astros will move forward with a four-man rotation for the remaining 18 games of the season, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Between Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Zack Greinke, and Wade Miley, Houston’s club features perhaps the most formidable rotation in baseball, and the team will start gearing up for postseason play by trotting out what projects to be its playoff rotation. As McTaggart notes, the schedule lines up such that the fifth spot in the rotation will only come up twice more, leaving each of the Stros’ four starters to make four more appearances while manager A.J. Hinch will have to patch together two bullpen days. Meanwhile, lefty Framber Valdez will pitch out of the bullpen for the last few weeks of the year. The young lefty has toggled between the rotation and the bullpen throughout the year, and results have been decidedly better as a reliever: he’s posted a 3.90 ERA out of the bullpen, compared to an unsightly 7.07 mark as a starter.

Here are some other notes from around the baseball landscape…

  • Also from Houston, injured Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, currently on the injured list experiencing back soreness, took batting practice at Minute Maid Park today, tweets McTaggart—the first time he’s done so since the injury. He also took ground balls on the field, indicating that the 24-year-old could embark on a rehab assignment in the next few days. However, it’s worth mentioning that the Astros’ two active minor-league affiliates could be eliminated from postseason play before Correa can join them, in which case the star shortstop would have to settle for live batting practice. All things considered, it’s a positive sign that one of the team’s cornerstones could return in time for the postseason.
  • Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki underwent an MRI Sunday morning after feeling some discomfort in his right elbow last night, per the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty. In a later update, Dougherty tweets that the MRI showed nothing more than inflammation in the elbow, leaving Suzuki day-to-day. Presumably, Suzuki will be good to go for the beginning of the Nats’ series in Minnesota. Suzuki missed Sunday’s series finale against the Braves and he will enjoy an off day Monday before kicking off a series against the Twins on Tuesday. Suzuki, who’s slugged 16 home runs this year, has combined with the Yan Gomes to form a solid catching duo for the playoff-hopeful Nationals. It seems that the Nationals got the best possible news regarding Suzuki’s elbow, which shouldn’t necessitate an extended absence for the veteran.
  • The chances of Mariners star outfielder Mitch Haniger returning this season look to be fading, tweets Greg Johns of MLB.com. The 28-year-old received a second opinion on his strained lower back, which set back his recovery from a ruptured testicle suffered earlier this year. Those injuries have limited the All-Star to just 63 games this year, a number that likely won’t budge after that second opinion yielded no new information. It seems that at this point, there would need to be a unexpected breakthrough in order for Haniger to see the field again in 2019.
  • Twins center fielder Byron Buxton, who hasn’t made a plate appearance since August 1 thanks to a left shoulder injury, may not hit again this season, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters including Dan Hayes of the Athletic. The oft-injured outfielder is set to travel to California to visit a shoulder specialist. While we’ll have to wait and see what comes of that, Buxton may be henceforth limited to a role as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive substitute. It’s an unfortunate development given Buxton’s progress as a hitter: in 2019, he’s enjoyed the best offensive season of his career, slashing .262/.314/.513 with ten home runs in just 87 games.

 

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Houston Astros Minnesota Twins Notes Seattle Mariners Washington Nationals Byron Buxton Carlos Correa Framber Valdez Kurt Suzuki Mitch Haniger

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AL Notes: Springer, Rangers, Calhoun, Rays

By Anthony Franco | September 8, 2019 at 11:54am CDT

Astros outfielder George Springer is in the lineup today against Seattle, marking a quick return from a concussion suffered earlier this week after he collided with the center field wall. Some other news from around the AL:

  • The Rangers have uncertainty at the hot corner for 2020, and they’ll at least kick the tires on the top free agent at the position, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. There’s an argument that Anthony Rendon is the top free agent on this offseason’s market, period, with a six-year deal a strong possibility. It’s notable to hear the Rangers could consider shelling out that kind of cash, although Wilson notes they’ll evaluate their internal candidates at third base over the season’s final month. Those include Danny Santana, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nick Solak, per Wilson, but not Joey Gallo, who is no longer seen as an option at the position.
  • The Rangers have had difficulty developing pitching in recent seasons, causing the organization to modernize its pitching development, explains Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News in a piece that would be of interest to Ranger fans. Texas has upped its usage of wearable technology and curtailed its recent draftees’ workload in an effort to keep their top arms healthy. As Grant notes, the program isn’t off to a rousing start, as Hans Crouse, Owen White and Cole Ragans, among others, have dealt with injury-plagued 2019 seasons. Nevertheless, it’ll be interesting to monitor the progression of the Rangers’ arms as the program takes a more defined shape.
  • Things don’t appear to be trending well for Kole Calhoun to return to Los Angeles in 2020, observes Buster Olney of ESPN (subscription link). As expected, Olney notes that the Angels hope to clear room alongside Mike Trout and Justin Upton for top outfield prospect Jo Adell, Baseball America’s #2 prospect. The Angels hold a $14MM option (or a $1M buyout) on Calhoun’s services, a borderline price point for a corner outfielder with a .233/.325/.466 slash (107 wRC+). Despite the not-insignificant price tag, Olney believes the Angels will at least consider picking up the option and dangling Calhoun in trade, figuring some outfield-needy team would be willing to take on the veteran for a marginal prospect return.
  • The Rays are making some changes within their baseball operations hierarchy, per a club press release. Mitch Lukevics, the organization’s long-time farm director, is transitioning to a senior advisory role in the front office after 14 years running the club’s minor-league operations. Lukevics “will remain closely involved” with the minor league system, the Rays added. Tampa Bay has also promoted Jeff McLerran to director of minor league operations, promoted Patrick Walter to director of international operations and promoted Steve Miller to director of international scouting. McLerran and Walter had previously been assistant directors in those respective fields, while Miller has spent the past six seasons as an international crosschecker for the Rays.
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Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Notes Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers

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Injury Notes: Harper, Springer, Suzuki, Piscotty

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2019 at 11:07pm CDT

After being hit in the right hand with a Steven Matz pitch on Friday, Bryce Harper sat out the Phillies’ 5-0 win over the Mets today and could also miss Sunday’s game.  X-rays were negative on the injury and Harper told the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Breen and other reporters that he would “be fine,” though he was frustrating at having to miss any time at all during the pennant race.  “Really tough to take a day [off], but I need to do what I need to do,” Harper off.  The Phils’ victory moved them three games behind the Cubs for the last NL wild card berth, and in the midst of such a tight race, certainly can’t afford to miss one of their top players.

While Harper hasn’t quite posted the type of superstar-level numbers you might expect after signing his much-ballyhooed 13-year, $330MM contract last offseason, he has been a thoroughly productive player in his first Phillies season, hitting .254/.372/.497 with 30 homers over an even 600 plate appearances while also contributing strong defense.

More on some key players who may or may not be close to returning to action…

  • George Springer also didn’t factor into today’s play, though Astros manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome) that the outfielder was available off the bench in Houston’s 2-1 win over Seattle, and would hopefully be back in the lineup on Sunday.  Springer suffered a minor concussion after an ugly-looking collision with the outfielder wall on Tuesday, which resulted in the Astros star being carted off the field.  Fortunately, the injury was less serious than it appeared, and Springer is set to resume what has been another All-Star season.
  • Kurt Suzuki will see a doctor after suffering a potential right elbow injury in tonight’s game, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post tweets.  The Nationals catcher felt pain after making a throw to second base in the seventh inning, and was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the top of the eighth.  Suzuki has hit .260/.319/.473 with 16 homers over 301 plate appearances in his first season as a National, splitting time with (and providing much more offense than) Yan Gomes.  Rookie backstop Raudy Read is the only other catcher on Washington’s 40-man roster if Suzuki has to miss any time.
  • Athletics outfielder Stephen Piscotty told Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle that he is close to beginning pool therapy on his injured right ankle, and will then further test the injury before determining any next steps.  Piscotty believes he can return before the end of the season, which is perhaps not as positive a development as it seems since there hadn’t really been any thought that Piscotty’s high ankle sprain could cost him the remainder of the 2019 campaign.  After hitting the IL on August 25, the outfielder is still wearing a walking boot.
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Athletics Houston Astros Notes Philadelphia Phillies Washington Nationals Bryce Harper George Springer Kurt Suzuki Stephen Piscotty

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AL Injury Notes: Cruz, Gurriel, Springer

By TC Zencka | September 7, 2019 at 9:20am CDT

The Twins fell 6-2 in 11 innings to their chaser in the AL Central last night, yet they remain 5 1/2 games ahead of the Indians for the division crown. Minnesota is just 6-8 head-to-head against their eastern rival with five matchups remaining, all in the next ten days. More troublesome to the Twins, they may be without Nelson Cruz for at least these next couple showdowns. Cruz exited the ballgame in the tenth inning with wrist soreness, but he’s being listed as day-to-day, per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park (via Twitter). Cruz carries an MVP-caliber bat when he’s healthy, arguably the best DH in the game with a .305/.385/.631 mark that pairs nicely with his traditional counting stats of 35 home runs and 92 RBIs. The wrist has been an issue for Cruz, however, as it’s already landed him on the IL twice. He was diagnosed with a ruptured ECU tendon back in March, but manager Rocco Baldelli insists the injury is nothing significant, tweets The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. Even minor injuries can have significant impact this time of year, of course, so let’s check in on a couple of injury scares for Minnesota’s potential dance partner in the upcoming ALDS.

  • Yuli Gurriel’s thunderous second half in Houston should return after just a brief interlude. The Astros first baseman left yesterday’s game with left hamstring discomfort, but he is considered day-to-day, per Mark Berman of Fox Houston. After authoring marks of .277/.314/.482 in the first half that fell just far enough below his career averages to spark fears of age-based decline for the 35-year-old, Yuli came out with a blistering second half: .351/.409/.660, pulling his overall productivity mark up to 135 wRC+, the 23rd highest mark in the majors. Gurriel’s leveling up paired with the arrival of Yordan Alvarez has made an already-strong Astros lineup certifiable.
  • In a separate tweet, Berman provides video of George Springer taking batting practice and having himself a time. This should be a welcome sight for the Houston faithful, who saw Springer suffer a mild concussion while colliding into the wall Tuesday night. It’s been a career year for Springer in this, his age-28 season, as he’s put up his most complete season to date with a line of .297/.389/.573. His 155 wRC+ pegs him as the 7th most-productive hitter in the majors this season, joining four of his Houston brethren in the top-25 among qualified hitters (Alvarez doesn’t yet qualify). From the looks of it, Springer should return to the Houston lineup shortly.
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Houston Astros Minnesota Twins Notes George Springer Nelson Cruz Rocco Baldelli Yuli Gurriel

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Astros To Release Reymin Guduan

By Jeff Todd | September 6, 2019 at 1:55pm CDT

Sept. 7: Guduan has cleared release waivers and is now a free agent.

Sept. 5: Guduan has been placed on release waivers, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweets. He’ll become a free agent if he goes unclaimed.

Sept. 3: The Astros have designated lefty Reymin Guduan for assignment. He had been on the restricted list owing to a team-issued suspension.

Details of the Guduan disciplinary situation aren’t known, but it’s obvious the relationship between him and the team has soured. The 27-year-old was suspended for the remainder of the minor-league season, which just ended, but the team decided to drop him from the 40-man rather than reinstating him and perhaps adding him back to the active roster.

Beyond those off-field issues, the results haven’t been there to this point of Guduan’s career. Despite big velocity and some swing-and-miss potential, he’s allowing nearly an earned run per inning over his 24 2/3 MLB frames. Guduan has had wavering command issues at times in the minors, with outcomes varying quite a bit from season to season. Still, there’s obviously talent there; it wouldn’t be especially surprising to see another organization place a claim.

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Houston Astros Transactions Reymin Guduan

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AL West Notes: A’s Rotation, Sanchez, Goodwin

By Steve Adams | September 6, 2019 at 9:26am CDT

The Athletics will effectively deploy a six-man rotation for the time being, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Sean Manaea’s return puts him alongside Mike Fiers, Brett Anderson, Chris Bassitt, Tanner Roark and Homer Bailey in the rotation, and it seems that there’s no immediate plans to push any of that bunch into a bullpen role. Skipper Bob Melvin called the situation “fluid” and left open the possibility for a change should the need arise. The flexibility could prove particularly important in the season’s final few games, as Melvin could potentially have the ability to optimize some matchups late in the year as the A’s look to secure a Wild Card playoff berth for the second straight season.

Of that bunch, the Athletics will lose Roark, Bailey and Anderson to free agency this winter, although the team isn’t exactly short on internal replacement options. Top prospect A.J. Puk is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, and while he’s in the bullpen for 2019, he’s expected vie for rotation gig in 2020. Righty Jharel Cotton is in a similar position, while uber-prospect Jesus Luzardo is also on the cusp of MLB readiness. Oakland, of course, also has righty Frankie Montas on the sidelines until late September due to an 80-game PED suspension, but he’ll be back in the starting mix next year.

Elsewhere in the AL West…

  • Aaron Sanchez’s season-ending shoulder surgery could give the Astros a difficult decision regarding the right-hander’s future in the organization, writes Jake Kaplan of The Athletic (subscription required). The organization has yet to divulge details on what type of procedure he’ll require, but Sanchez is owed a raise on this season’s $3.9MM salary in arbitration. His lackluster season won’t make the ultimate price point too steep, so it seems worthwhile to tender Sanchez a contract so long as he’s not expected to be sidelined well into next summer, but the sudden uncertainty surrounding his outlook is an unwelcome development as the club plans for the 2020 campaign. The extent of Sanchez’s expected recovery will play a role in how aggressively the ’Stros need to pursue rotation help in the offseason; Gerrit Cole, Wade Miley and Collin McHugh are free agents, while Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke and Lance McCullers Jr. (who’ll ideally be recovered from 2018 Tommy John surgery) are all signed or controlled through at least 2021.
  • The Angels’ March claim of Brian Goodwin off release waivers from the Royals may have initially been intended to find a capable stopgap for the injured Justin Upton, but the 28-year-old Goodwin looks to have played himself into the team’s plans in 2020, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “Truthfully, I thought he was going to be a filler until Upton came back,” manager Brad Ausmus admitted. “But then he just proved himself to be way too valuable. Much more than just a stop-gap player. He’s turned himself into, shoot, you could make the argument he should play more.” Goodwin, indeed, has been a boon to the Halos’ roster, hitting at a .286/.346/.507 clip with 15 home runs, 27 doubles, two triples and five steals through 380 plate appearances. He’ll be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter and should secure the first seven-figure salary of his career. The Angels hold a club option on Kole Calhoun and will have both Upton and Mike Trout back in 2020, but Goodwin at the very least should be a fourth outfield option next season.
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Athletics Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Notes Aaron Sanchez Brian Goodwin

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Carlos Correa Hires New Representation

By Steve Adams | September 5, 2019 at 7:08pm CDT

Astros star Carlos Correa is making an unusual switch in representation, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). Correa has parted ways with agent Greg Genske and is now being represented by talent agency William Morris Endeavor. WME is not a baseball agency and does not even have a MLBPA-certified agent at present, although WME agent Jon Rosen is in the process of being certified by the union, Feinsand adds.

WME’s client list includes names like Bobby Flay, Rachel Ray and Al Roker, and Feinsand adds that Rosen represented both Alex Rodriguez and Matt Vasgersian in negotiating their broadcast contracts with ESPN. Jeff Passan of ESPN further reports that Rodriguez has been advising Correa on his future, which surely influenced the shift to some degree.

On the one hand, it’s not exactly a surprise to see Correa find new representation. Genske’s former Legacy Agency was acquired by Gatemore Sports & Entertainment and rebranded as GSE Worldwide last year, and several agents have broken off to start their own shops (e.g. Tidal Sports Group, VC Sports Group). Alex Bregman and Mookie Betts are among the former Legacy clients who’ve followed their representatives to those newly started agencies.

A player — particularly one of this caliber — enlisting an agency that has never worked in baseball before is obviously quite rare. In some respects, the switch is reminiscent of Robinson Cano leaving Scott Boras to sign with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports, although Jay-Z partnered with CAA Baseball (agent-turned-Mets-GM Brodie Van Wagenen, specifically) early in that endeavor. Whether WME seeks out a similar partnership or hires an experienced baseball representative remains to be seen.

Assuming Rosen is indeed certified as a player agent by the MLBPA, he’ll immediately be thrust into a high-profile arbitration case in his first offseason on the job. Correa is earning a $5MM salary in 2019 as a first-time arbitration-eligible player and stands to receive a sizable raise on that sum in 2020.

It’d be more interesting, though, to see how Correa’s new representation approaches his looming free agency in the 2021-22 offseason. It’s certainly possible that WME could hire a more seasoned baseball agent so that his trip to the open market wouldn’t be a totally foreign experience for the company’s fledgling baseball department. More broadly looking beyond Correa, it also stands to reason that a company with WME’s considerable resources and marketing capabilities would have little difficulty in luring other MLB players to a newly created baseball department (which could, of course, serve as another means of gaining experience in free agency prior to Correa hitting the open market).

As always, the change in representation has been reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains representation information on hundreds upon hundreds of current and former players. If you see an error or omission within the database, please let us know: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

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Houston Astros Carlos Correa

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Aaron Sanchez To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

By Mark Polishuk | September 5, 2019 at 11:26am CDT

Aaron Sanchez won’t pitch again this season, as Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told reporters (including Mark Berman of KRIV Fox 26) that the right-hander is set to undergo shoulder surgery next week.  The nature of the procedure or Sanchez’s recovery timeline isn’t yet known, as Luhnow said more details will be forthcoming after the surgery takes place.

Sanchez was already on the injured list (dating back to August 21) due to a sore right pectoral muscle, and though the severity of his shoulder problem isn’t yet established, it represents yet another troubling injury absence for the 27-year-old.  Sanchez was plagued with a variety of blister, nail, and finger problems in 2017-18, and also missed over two months due to finger surgery in 2018.

These injuries derailed what was looking like a career on the rise, as Sanchez posted a league-best 3.00 ERA in 2016 for a Blue Jays team that reached the American League Championship Series.  Since the end of that season, however, Sanchez has a 5.29 ERA, 7.4 K/9, and 1.54 K/BB rate over 272 1/3 innings for Toronto and Houston, as he has been unable to regain his past form even when healthy.

The Jays dealt Sanchez to the Astros as part of a four-player deal at the trade deadline, and the prevailing thought was that Sanchez could blossom with a change of scenery, particularly given how the Astros had proven to be adept at reviving pitchers’ careers or taking them to another level in recent years.  This seemed like the case almost immediately, as Sanchez’s first start as an Astro saw him toss six hitless innings as part of a combined no-hitter.

After following that start up with another strong outing, however, Sanchez struggled over his next two starts, and his first season for Houston will finish with a 4.82 ERA, 7.7 K/9, and 1.78 K/BB rate over 18 2/3 innings.  While it’s a small sample size, Sanchez’s home run problems (already an issue in Toronto) worsened, as he surrendered five homers over those 18 2/3 frames.

Sanchez as seen as a potential relief weapon out of the Astros’ pen in October (he excelled in a similar role during the 2015 Blue Jays’ postseason run).  Since Sanchez is no longer an option, it adds another question mark to an increasingly troubled Astros relief corps as the club approaches the playoffs.  Ryan Pressly, Collin McHugh, and Brad Peacock are all on the IL, while closer Roberto Osuna has been rather homer-prone himself.  It remains to be seen how healthy and effective the relievers will be to back up the all-world starting quartet of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Zack Greinke, and Wade Miley.

Looking long-term, if the surgery require a long recovery period, Sanchez could even be in danger of being non-tendered by Houston in the offseason.  He will be arbitration-eligible for a third and final time this winter, though he won’t carry a big price tag, after Sanchez made just under $1.271MM in 2019.  With only a modest raise forthcoming, the Astros could decide to tender Sanchez a contract just to see what they can get from him next year, or perhaps work out a two-year extension to keep him into the fold for 2021 should Sanchez miss a large portion of the 2020 season.

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Houston Astros Newsstand Aaron Sanchez

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George Springer To Miss Time With Mild Concussion

By Steve Adams | September 5, 2019 at 11:21am CDT

TODAY: The official diagnosis on Springer is a mild concussion, Luhnow told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart).  The Astros hope to have Springer back in action by early next week, assuming he is medically cleared.

Sept. 4: Astros president of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow appeared on the Sean Salisbury Show on SportsTalk 790 AM today (audio link) and indicated that while things are “looking positive” following initial tests, the nature of head and neck injuries makes it difficult to draw conclusions until 24 to 48 hours have passed. It doesn’t sound like there’ll be any definitive status update on Springer’s condition until the hours leading up to tomorrow’s game.

Sept. 3: Astros center fielder George Springer was carted of the field in tonight’s game following a collision with the center-field wall, and manager A.J. Hinch said after tonight’s game that Springer is being evaluated for a head injury and will travel back to Houston with the club tonight (Twitter link, with video, via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). For the time being, the Astros are listing Springer as day-to-day, but he’s still slated to undergo a series of additional tests.

Springer made an outstanding grab of a deep drive to center field off the bat of Ryan Braun, but fell to the ground hard and appeared to strike his head against the base of the wall at Miller Park (video link). Hinch and several teammates were with Springer as he lay on the warning track for a few minutes until the cart arrived to help him off the field. Right fielder Josh Reddick said after the game that Springer never lost consciousness and seemed alert following the collision (video link via McTaggart).

First place in the AL West is a veritable certainty for the Astros at this point, given their 10-game lead over second-place Oakland, but a concussion or any other head injury of note for Springer would be of significant concern with postseason play set to begin in roughly a month. The 29-year-old Springer has been among the league’s most productive hitters, posting a .297/.389/.573 batting line with 30 homers, 19 doubles and three triples despite missing nearly a month with a hamstring injury earlier in the season.

Houston’s lineup went through a spell where it was without several key players due to injury, but the Astros were nearly at full strength entering play tonight. Carlos Correa remains sidelined by a back injury but hit off a tee earlier today (Twitter link via the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome). He’s expected to return in the relatively near future, but Springer’s now-uncertain status gives the Houston organization and its fans another key injury situation to monitor.

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Houston Astros George Springer

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    Report: Nationals Ownership Criticized As “Inefficient” And “Directionless”

    Guardians Place Nolan Jones On 10-Day IL, Promote Petey Halpin

    Nick Castellanos Criticizes “Questionable” Communication With Rob Thomson

    AL Central Notes: Tigers, Morton, Lugo, Bergert, Wallner

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