- Justin Verlander has one final hurdle to clear before he’ll make his season debut. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters that the three-time Cy Young winner will throw a bullpen session tomorrow (X link via Chandler Rome of the Athletic). If that goes according to plan, Verlander will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list for this weekend’s series in Washington. The 41-year-old is coming off a four-inning rehab stint with Double-A Corpus Christi, in which he threw 78 pitches.
Astros Rumors
Astros Outright Cooper Hummel
Catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel, whom the Astros designated for assignment last week, went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Sugar Land, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He hasn’t been outrighted before and doesn’t have three years of MLB service, so Hummel can’t reject the assignment. He’ll remain in the organization as a depth piece.
Hummel is no stranger to the DFA circuit, having bounced from the Mariners, to the Mets, to the Giants, to the Astros just from the end of the 2023 season until now. The 29-year-old has just 227 big league plate appearances under his belt, most of which came with the 2022 Diamondbacks. He’s a .166/.264/.286 hitter between the D-backs and the Mariners (10 games in 2023). Those numbers aren’t much to look at, but Hummel hit .262/.409/.435 in Triple-A last season and walked at a mammoth 18% rate along the way. He’s a .287/.419/.488 hitter in 992 overall plate appearances in Triple-A.
Given that standout production in the upper minors and his unusual blend of defensive versatility, Hummel makes a nice depth option for the Astros to be able to stash in Triple-A. He’s logged more than 1800 innings in left field, 1054 frames behind the plate, 508 innings at first base and another 296 innings in right field. He also still has a minor league option remaining, so if he plays his way back onto the 40-man roster, he doesn’t necessarily need to be exposed to waivers a second time if Houston wants to send him down.
Astros Notes: Valdez, Verlander
- There was plenty of concern for Framber Valdez’s health when elbow soreness sent the southpaw to the Astros’ 15-day injured list earlier this week, but it seems like Valdez may have avoided a serious problem. Valdez told MLB.com and other media today that he aims to start throwing again on Tuesday, and doesn’t think he’ll need a minor league rehab assignment. “I feel a lot better now than I did then, and I’ll continue my routine as a starter,” Valdez said. Needless to say, a return after the minimum 15 days would be a fantastic outcome for Valdez and the Astros, who are already dealing with a lot of injuries in the rotation.
- Justin Verlander is one of those other Astros arms on the shelf, yet the future Hall-of-Famer is on pace to make his 2024 debut on Friday in a start against the Nationals. Verlander threw 77 pitches over four innings in his second and likely final Triple-A rehab start yesterday. Some shoulder soreness delayed Verlander during Spring Training, so the 41-year-old was placed on the 15-day IL to begin the season in order to give him more time to ramp up and prepare for his 19th big league campaign.
Astros Re-Sign Miguel Diaz To Minor League Contract
The Astros re-signed reliever Miguel Díaz to a minor league deal, tweets Chandler Rome of the Athletic. He has been assigned to Triple-A Sugar Land.
Díaz elected free agency yesterday after being outrighted off Houston’s MLB roster. It didn’t take long for his camp and the team to circle back on a new deal that’ll keep him in the organization. Díaz had previously made all of one appearance in an Astro uniform. Houston had only claimed him from the Tigers last week. He tossed a scoreless inning in his lone outing but was pushed off the roster when the Astros called up Blair Henley for a spot start. Díaz is out of minor league options, so a DFA was the only way to remove him from the big league team.
A former Rule 5 pick of the Padres, Díaz logged the majority of his MLB time with San Diego between 2017-21. He struggled early on, which isn’t surprising for a player who had never pitched above the High-A level before the Friars selected him. Díaz found more success in a minuscule sample of work with Detroit between 2022-23, tossing 17 2/3 frames of two-run ball. That he nevertheless went unclaimed on waivers suggests teams view those numbers with a fair amount of skepticism.
Díaz tallied 57 frames with a 5.05 earned run average for Detroit’s top affiliate last season. While that’s not an eye-catching number, his 28.6% strikeout percentage was a few points better than the league mark. He’ll look to build off that work with Sugar Land and get back to the majors in short order. Houston has leaned heavily on its bullpen this week, so it’s possible they’ll need to bring up more fresh arms in the next few days.
Astros To Select Joel Kuhnel
The Astros are going to add right-hander Joel Kuhnel to their roster, with Chandler Rome of The Athletic among those to relay the news. Left-hander Parker Mushinski will be optioned to open an active roster spot while Wander Suero has been designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot, per Rome.
The Astros haven’t had an off-day since last Thursday and their bullpen has been getting heavy use of late. On Monday, the injury of Framber Valdez led to the club sending out Blair Henley to make his major league debut, but he couldn’t make it out of the first inning. Cristian Javier had a fine start on Tuesday but then Spencer Arrighetti made his major league debut on Wednesday and was only able to log three innings. Then Hunter Brown was pummelled yesterday, allowing nine earned runs on 11 hits while only recording two outs.
Amid all of that, the relievers have had to grind through innings, which included Mushinski throwing 54 pitches over 2 2/3 on Wednesday. He was likely looking at being down for a few days after that so the club has optioned him out for a fresh arm.
Kuhnel, 29, has 83 2/3 innings of big league experience. Most of that was with the Reds, though he joined the Astros in a cash deal in June of last year. His 6.02 earned run average for his career is obviously not impressive, nor is his 19.3% strikeout rate, though there are some more encouraging numbers to look at. His fastball averages in the mid-90s, he’s limited walks to a 6.5% clip and he’s been able to keep 52.5% of balls in play on the ground.
The Astros designated him for assignment in January and the righty elected free agency but the Astros brought him back via a minor league deal. He’ll now get a chance to join the beleaguered bullpen and hopefully give them a boost. He has an option remaining and can perhaps be kept as a depth arm if the club needs yet another roster move in the days to come. He also has less than two years of service time and can be retained for future seasons if he continues to hang onto that 40-man roster spot.
Suero, 32, has been on a similar trajectory to Kuhnel in that he also signed a minor league pact with Houston in the winter and had his contract selected to help out the staff this week. He was added on Tuesday and put into that night’s game against the Royals. He came to the mound in the bottom of the 10th and allowed a single to Salvador Perez, scoring the free runner from second and ending the game without Suero recording an out.
He was optioned the next day to get Arrighetti onto the active roster and has now lost his spot on the 40-man as well. The Astros will have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers. If he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he will have the right to elect free agency, both due to his three-plus years of service time and a previous career outright.
He has a 4.75 ERA in 193 1/3 major league innings in his career, striking out 25.4% of opponents with a walk rate of 8.6%. But he had a 4.10 ERA from 2018 to 2020 and a 6.57 ERA since then. Despite the shaky results of late, plenty of clubs need pitching right now and Suero’s option means that he won’t require an active roster spot.
Miguel Diaz Elects Free Agency
Reliever Miguel Díaz elected free agency after clearing outright waivers, the Astros informed reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). Houston had designated him for assignment on Monday.
Díaz made all of one appearance in an Astro uniform. Houston had only claimed him from the Tigers last week. He tossed a scoreless inning in his lone outing but was pushed off the roster when the Astros called up Blair Henley for a spot start. Díaz is out of minor league options, so a DFA was the only way to remove him from the big league team.
A former Rule 5 pick of the Padres, Díaz logged the majority of his MLB time with San Diego between 2017-21. He struggled early on, which isn’t surprising for a player who had never pitched above the High-A level before the Friars selected him. Díaz found more success in a minuscule sample of work with Detroit between 2022-23, tossing 17 2/3 frames of two-run ball. That he nevertheless went unclaimed on waivers suggests teams view those numbers with a fair amount of skepticism.
Díaz tallied 57 frames with a 5.05 earned run average for Detroit’s top affiliate last season. While that’s not an eye-catching number, his 28.6% strikeout percentage was a few points better than the league mark. Those swing-and-miss numbers should allow Díaz to secure a minor league deal now that he’s on the open market.
Astros Designate Cooper Hummel For Assignment
The Astros have selected the contract of right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, a move that was reported last night. Right-hander Wander Suero was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to open an active roster spot while utility player Cooper Hummel was designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot. Chandler Rome of The Athletic was among those to relay the list of transactions.
Hummel, 29, was just claimed off waivers last week but the Astros have been dealing with a notable roster churn of late. Each of Suero, Arrighetti and Blair Henley have been selected to the 40-man in the past few days, which has squeezed Hummel out of his spot.
It’s been quite a nomadic few months for Hummel, who was with the Mariners in 2023. Since December, he’s gone to the Mets, Giants and Astros via waiver claims or cash deals. It’s possible yet another jersey swap is over the horizon, as the Astros will now have a week to trade him or try to pass him through waivers.
His 227 major league plate appearances have resulted in an unimpressive batting line of .166/.264/.286 but he’s naturally been much better in the minors. From the start of 2021 through the present day, he has 992 Triple-A plate appearances. He has drawn a walk in a huge 17.3% of those while keeping his strikeout rate down to a respectable 21.2% rate. His combined batting line of .287/.419/.488 in that time translates to a wRC+ of 131.
Defensively, Hummel offers a unique level of versatility, having spent significant time behind the plate as well as the outfield corners, first base and even a small amount of time at third base. He also has one option year remaining, which means he can be kept in Triple-A for depth until needed. With less than a year of service time, he’s still not close to qualifying for arbitration or free agency.
That combination of his Triple-A offense, his defensive flexibility and his contract status clearly makes him appealing to clubs, judging by how many of them have tried to grab him since the end of last year. Taking all that into consideration, he may be on the move yet again in the days to come. If he were to finally pass through waivers unclaimed, he would stick with the Astros as non-roster depth, since he has neither the three years of service time nor the previous career outright that would give him the right to elect free agency.
Astros To Promote Spencer Arrighetti
The Astros are promoting pitching prospect Spencer Arrighetti, report Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. The right-hander will make his major league debut tomorrow evening in Kansas City. Houston will need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move when they officially select Arrighetti’s contract.
It’s the first major league call for the 24-year-old. Houston selected Arrighetti in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of the University of Louisiana. While he didn’t enter the professional ranks with much fanfare, he has developed into arguably the top pitching prospect in the Houston system. Baseball America and The Athletic’s Keith Law each slotted Arrighetti as the organization’s best minor league pitcher and a top five talent in the system overall.
Both outlets suggest Arrighetti projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter. His fastball sits in the low 90s but plays a bit above its velocity because of its ride at the top of the zone. BA and The Athletic each suggest that Arrighetti’s slider is the best pitch in a generally solid arsenal, while he throws enough strikes to potentially stick in the rotation.
Arrighetti split the 2023 campaign between the top two levels of the minors. He allowed 4.40 earned runs per nine through 124 2/3 innings, striking hitters out at an above-average 27.1% clip. Arrighetti has logged 8 1/3 innings of two-run ball over his first two Triple-A starts this year. He has punched out 10 batters but issued seven walks in the early going.
Houston has been forced to dip its into rotation depth. The Astros knew all offseason they’d be without Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia deep into the season as they rehab from arm surgeries. Justin Verlander began the year on the shelf after a minor bout of shoulder soreness in Spring Training, while José Urquidy went down with a forearm strain during exhibition play. The Astros poked around the rotation market late in the offseason but decided against meeting the asking price for Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery.
They opened the season with a starting five of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, J.P. France and Ronel Blanco. Valdez recently felt some soreness in his elbow and landed on the 15-day injured list this evening. Houston called Blair Henley for a spot start in Valdez’s place last night but will give Arrighetti the next look in the rotation. It could be a brief first call, as Verlander is slated for a second rehab start this weekend and could be back in the majors by the end of next week.
Astros Place Framber Valdez On Injured List
The Astros have placed left-hander Framber Valdez on the 15-day injured list due to elbow soreness, retroactive to April 6, per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 (X links). They also optioned right-hander Blair Henley to Triple-A Sugar Land. In corresponding moves, they recalled left-hander Parker Mushinski and selected the contract of right-hander Wander Suero. Mushinski was just optioned on Friday and hasn’t yet spent the minimum of 15 days on optional assignment, but players are allowed to return early when someone else goes on the IL. To open a spot on the 40-man roster for Suero, right-hander Oliver Ortega was transferred to the 60-day injured list, per Alexander. Henley relayed the news of his option last night, with Chandler Rome of The Athletic among those to pass it on. Rome also noted that Suero was at the ballpark earlier today and also relayed that Mushinski was on his way to join the club.
It was reported yesterday that Valdez was scratched from his start due to elbow soreness and sent to Houston to visit with team doctors. Manager Joe Espada says the plan is for him to be shut down for a few days while his inflammation subsides, per Rome. Further updates will likely follow in the coming days as the club continues to monitor his progress.
With Valdez scratched, the Astros tagged in Henley as an emergency starter in yesterday’s game against the Rangers but he allowed five earned runs while recording just one out. The Astros managed to come back and win that game 10-5 but used four relievers, getting multiple innings from three of them. Today’s moves provide the club with a couple of fresh arms for their beleaguered bullpen.
Now that Valdez is officially on the IL, the Astros will have to find another starter to join their rotation alongside Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, J.P. France and Ronel Blanco, though Justin Verlander has begun a rehab assignment and may not be too far away. If Verlander wants to make a second rehab starts as planned, perhaps long reliever Brandon Bielak can take the ball in a few days’ time for a spot start.
Suero, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Astros in the offseason. He has 193 1/3 innings of major league experience, having pitched for the Nationals and Dodgers. He has a 4.75 earned run average in that time, striking out 25.4% of batters faced while walking 8.6%.
However, he’s a few years removed from his best results, as he had a 4.10 ERA with the Nats from 2018 to 2020 but then a 6.33 ERA in 2021. He was stuck in the minors in 2022 and then had a 7.88 ERA in eight innings for the Dodgers last year. But his recent Triple-A numbers have been better, as he had a 3.26 ERA in the Dodgers’ system last year and a 4.50 ERA through four appearances so far this year. Suero still has an option and also has less than four years of service time, meaning he can be retained beyond this season via arbitration if he holds onto a 40-man spot all year.
As for Ortega, it was reported last month that he would miss three to four months after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow, making this transfer an inevitable formality.
Framber Valdez Scratched From Start Due To Elbow Soreness
Astros left-hander Framber Valdez was scratched from today’s start due to soreness on the top of his left elbow after playing catch, with Chandler Rome of The Athletic among those to relay the news. While the club is in Arlington to face the Rangers, Valdez is in Houston to meet with team doctors, manager Joe Espada said.
At this point, it’s not yet clear how significant the injury is and Valdez has not yet been placed on the injured list, but it’s nonetheless a concerning development for a number of reasons. For one thing, there has been an unfortunate streak of pitching injuries of late, with stars like Shane Bieber and Eury Pérez recently requiring season-ending surgeries. Another big name, Spencer Strider, is still trying to discover the severity of his injury but there is concern that he could be set to go under the knife as well. Guys like Shohei Ohtani, Jacob deGrom, Sandy Alcántara, Robbie Ray, Shane McClanahan and many more are each recovery from undergoing surgery last year.
The litany of injuries has led to a recent dispute between the MLBPA and the league, with the players concerned about the effects of the pitch clock while the league believes increased velocity and spin in the modern game are to blame. It’s still not clear that Valdez is going to be following those other pitchers to a significant surgery, with both Espada and general manager Dana Brown downplaying the concern, per Rome. But the fact that another star player is dealing with a possible elbow injury could only add to the ongoing tension.
Beyond the league-wide implications, it’s also a scary development for the Astros, as Valdez has emerged as a huge part of the club’s success in recent years. He has a 3.17 earned run average in 617 innings dating back to the start of the 2020 season. He struck out 23.8% of batters faced in that time, walking just 8% of them while keeping the ball on the ground at a massive 62.8% clip.
Subtracting that kind of quality performance would hurt any rotation but it would be especially noteworthy for the Astros at this moment in time. They are already without Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia Jr., both of whom underwent elbow surgery last year and each is still working back to health. More recently, each of Justin Verlander, José Urquidy and Shawn Dubin landed on the injured list due to injuries. Verlander is getting close to a return, having begun a rehab assignment over the weekend, but it’s clearly a less than ideal time for another domino to fall so they will obviously be hoping that Valdez isn’t seriously hurt. For now, Blair Henley has been called up to make a start while Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, J.P. France and Ronel Blanco fill out the rest of the rotation.
For Valdez personally, he’s in his penultimate season of club control, currently slated for free agency after 2025. In the worst-case scenario where he requires Tommy John surgery and misses over a year, it would mean that he would be heading into the open market with hardly any innings pitched in the two seasons prior to becoming a free agent.
It’s worth reiterating that none of that has come to pass yet and Valdez is not even on the injured list. Still, even this small update of some soreness clearly has the potential to set off some ripple effects if it turns to be something serious, given the potential impacts on the Astros, on Valdez himself and the tumultuous situation between MLB and the MLBPA.
