There’s no defined timetable for when Alex Bregman will return to the Astros’ lineup, though the star third baseman tells Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) that an MRI of his ailing right hamstring didn’t reveal anything similar to the 2016 issue that cost him a few weeks of the season. For the time being, Bregman is simply considered day to day, and there’s yet to be any indication that a trip to the injured list is a particular concern for him or the team.
Here’s more from the division…
- The Mariners’ analytics department identified the revamped changeup of right-hander Brandon Brennan as a pitch worth taking a chance on in the Rule 5 Draft, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com, and to this point the team’s investment has paid off nicely. Brennan has been unscored upon in 8 2/3 innings with a 7-to-2 K/BB ratio and a terrific 63.2 percent ground-ball rate. Brennan, who’ll turn 28 this summer, is older than most Rule 5 selections and spoke all the more appreciatively of the opportunity in his interview with Johns. Not only does he relish any big league opportunity as a 27-year-old rookie, but Brennan received the surreal experience of making his MLB debut in the same half-inning that Ichiro Suzuki was pulled from his final game to an uproarious standing ovation in his native Japan. The Mariners will have to carry Brennan all season or else expose him to waivers and, if he clears, offer him back to the White Sox for $50K. So far, he’s given Seattle no reason to do so.
- Jake Kaplan of The Athletic takes a look at the changes Robinson Chirinos has made to his game since signing with the Astros (subscription required). Chirinos details the drills he worked on throughout Spring Training to change his setup behind the plate as well as the slight alteration to his throwing motion — made at the behest of pitching coach Brent Strom after noticing a mechanical flaw. The season is still extraordinarily young, but Chirinos has drawn slightly positive marks in pitch framing, per both Fangraphs and Baseball Prospectus, after ranking as one of the game’s worst in that regard for much of his career. He’s also halted two of the seven stolen-base attempts against him thus far after catching just 10 percent of thieves in 2018. Only time will tell if the changes yield quantifiable improvements, but that’ll be an interesting thread for both Astros and Rangers fans to follow over the course of the season.
I know it’s early but man would it be a funny coincidence if this ends up being the Mariners year. 7-8 seasons of being all-in trying to contend, and the year they take a step back to rework their roster ends up being the one that works. I’m a cards fan but I’m definitely rooting for them this year
They thought 2001 was the year…Stankees spoiled that in the playoffs. (Never count on the team with the best record winning. Seattle was 116-46 that year AND had some rookie named Ichiro…)
I think 2019 might be the year of the “don’t ever make predictions in January about contenders” because right now, Seattle & Tampa bay are leading their divisions. Anything could happen
Tampa isn’t all that surprising. They did win 90 last year, kept the team intact for once AND actually added to it. They are most likely right where they should be.
This year is don’t make predictions in January? What about last year when the A’s won 97.
There is a usually a surprise team ever year. And there is always a team that gets out of the gate fast and fall on its face.
That is enough it off you Royals fan you just got swept in a 4 game series. We ended your best hitters streak.
Seriously though it is fun watching them play. It had to be frustrating today because it was fun for us. How is Hamilton? Really hope he is OK. Didn’t look good when he couldn’t put any weight on it. I thought we were going to have a fast OF but him and Gore are amazing.
Who had the best 2018 regular season record?
Way too early.
I’m rooting for them so much
The Mariners didn’t select Brennan from the White Sox. He had just signed a minor league deal with the Rockies. They selected him from Colorado.
Mr. Brennen can’t be any good……
He came up as a rookie at age 27.
Jeff McNeil came up as a rookie at age 26. MLBTR noted in multiple articles and chats during the off-season that the Mets needed a 2B because his quality 1/3’rd season after his call-up in 2018 was a statistical outlier and couldn’t possibly be substantiated as analysis showed he was lucky. He’d never hit so well in the minors and it had taken him too long to get to the major leagues (much like that Whit Merrifield guy that just broke George Brett’s consecutive hitting streak record).
So Mr. Brennen is on borrowed time.
Then again……
Jeff McNeill is currently hitting .367 / .472 / .500, but, you know, that’s a small sample size.
One of the fun things about baseball are outliers – guys like Merrifields and McNeil. Merrifield is an all-star caliber second baseman. McNeil looks like a very nice utility guy – no walks, no strikeouts, no power but can play all over the field and makes lots of contact.
Relievers often aren’t identified until later in their 20s because teams try them as starters for way too long. Brad Hand didn’t become “good” until age 26, for example. Kirby Yates didn’t get good until age 31. Mariano Rivera didn’t get good until age 27.
Yep. I think a team like the padres is going to end up throwing away a couple quality relievers over the next couple years if they haven’t already. With the amount of prospects they have they’ll inevitably give up on some arms too early. As they’ll be late bloomers in the bunch they’ve already tossed away.
The M’s analytics team identifying his change up’s improvement isn’t something that can be spotted in a stat line on Baseball Reference, for example, so more power to them for the shrewd find, whether he lasts the season or not.
When a player hits a bunch of home runs early, or they have a ridiculous batting average early in the season, people always say “It’s a small sample size”. So, does that mean no one will ever hit 60 home runs in a season or bat .360 ever again?
We are always putting a negative spin on things… “Oh, he can’t sustain that for the whole season”. Instead, we should be saying, “Man, he started out strong. Hope he keeps that up the entire season.”
Guys like Brady Anderson and Luis Gonzalez and Norm Cash will have an opinion on this.
You just mention two probable PED guys and a GREAT hitter who had a breakout in an expansion year.
If they are taking PEDs which is nothing new for Seattle players, then they could absolutely break out. If not, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
With so many teams “tanking”, it seems like an expansion year.
Edwin Jackson deserved better.
… if his peripherals were good.
Edwin Jackson has played for 13 different teams… has anyone played for more?
Just looked it up… Jackson and Octavio Dotel are tied at 13 different teams. Edwin needs to go for that record… sign with the Yankees
No. Dotel is also at 13 though. Dotel reached it first in 2012
Not sure. But it’d be cool to see him get to 15 and play for half the league
What in the world made Edwin Jackson think he deserved 8 million dollars?!
I don’t know, but some teams are desperate for starting pitching.
Pitching competently, helping a team to the playoffs, the $50m deal he got years ago, the 2/$16m Mike Pelfrey got a few years ago.
Teams are much smarter today and the players hate it.