Astros Acquire Joel Kuhnel
The Reds have traded right-hander Joel Kuhnel to the Astros in exchange for cash considerations, per an announcement by both teams. The move comes days after Kuhnel was designated for assignment by Cincinnati. To make room for Kuhnel on the 40-man roster, the Astros have transferred right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. to the 60-day injured list. The club also announced that they have optioned Kuhnel to Triple-A.
The move marks the end of the Kuhnel’s tenure with the Reds, for whom he has played his entire professional career after the club selected him in the 11th round of the 2016 draft. Kuhnel pitched for Cincinnati in parts of four seasons, with the majority of his appearances coming during the 2022 campaign.
In 58 innings of work last season, Kuhnel posted an abysmal 6.36 ERA. That being said, those terrible run prevention numbers are belie what advanced metrics say was a perfectly solid performance in 2022. Hitters posted an unsustainable .343 BABIP against Kuhnel in 2022 while the right-hander posted an unusually low strand rate of just 60.2% over the course of the season. Kuhnel’s performance is further bolstered by his 22% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. Taken together, it’s easy to see why advanced metrics thought relatively highly of Kuhnel in 2022, as evidenced by a 3.78 xERA and a 3.52 xFIP.
In all, Kuhnel heads to Houston with a career 6.20 ERA and 4.28 FIP in 74 innings of work across 69 appearances. Going forward, Kuhnel figures to act as depth for an Astros bullpen that ranks top three in the majors with a 3.21 ERA, behind only the Guardians and Yankees. He joins the likes of Matt Gage and Blake Taylor as bullpen depth at the Triple-A level that’s already on the 40-man roster. Kuhnel takes the 40-man roster spot of McCullers, whose placement on the 60-day IL comes as little surprise following his season-ending surgery earlier this week.
AL West Notes: A’s, McCullers, Leon
While the Athletics seem more likely than ever to relocate to Las Vegas after Nevada’s governor signed a bill providing $380MM in public funding for an MLB stadium in the state’s biggest city, Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the club will remain in Oakland through the end of their lease at the Coliseum, which expires after the 2024 season. As Akers notes, no discussions have taken place regarding the A’s leaving Oakland ahead of the 2024 campaign, as the 2024 MLB schedule is already set and poised to be released later this summer.
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, however, Akers notes that there are a variety of options being explored for the club’s temporary home until the Athletic’s planned ballpark in Las Vegas is ready, which isn’t expected to happen until 2028. Options Akers mentions for the A’s are Sacramento, Reno, and even alternative sites in the Bay Area. Most interestingly, Akers points out that the A’s have an agreement in place with Howard Hughes Corp, the owner of the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, to use the Aviators’ 10,000 seat ballpark while construction of the permanent ballpark is underway.
Of course, there’s still much to do before the club’s planned relocation is official, to say nothing of the steps necessary to finalize a temporary home ballpark. The Athletics will need to have their relocation effort approved by 75% of MLB owners, and the MLB Players Association would have to give its approval for the club’s temporary home ballpark before any plans could be finalized. Still, Akers’s report nonetheless provides some a window into the options at the club’s disposal as they prepare to depart Oakland, their home for more than half a century.
More from around AL West…
- Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. underwent flexor tendon surgery earlier this week that will keep him out of action for the rest of the season. While that’s surely a bitterly disappointing development for both McCullers and fans in Houston, the situation could have gone far worse, as The Athletic’s Chandler Rome notes in a recent article that McCullers and Dr. Neal ElAttrache entered operating room prepared for the possibility that the right-hander would require a second Tommy John surgery rather than the flexor tendon surgery he ultimately needed. Such a procedure would have left McCullers unavailable for at least twelve months, but the 29-year-old righty could begin throwing again toward the end of the 2023 campaign or shortly after the season’s conclusion. Unfortunately, that does little to assist an Astros rotation that has also lost Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy to injury so far this season.
- The Rangers announced earlier this afternoon that catcher Sandy Leon had accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock. Leon had been designated for assignment by the club earlier this week. It’s great news for the Rangers, as Leon is a well respected defensive catcher and game caller. While he slashed just .146/.186/.195 in 21 games with the Rangers this season that translates to an abysmal wRC+ of 2, Leon’s presence at Triple-A will provide the Rangers with catching depth behind their current trio of Jonah Heim, Sam Huff, and Mitch Garver while also providing the club’s young pitchers at the level with a veteran catcher who could aid in their development.
Best Deadline Rental Returns In Recent History, #3: Jays Get An All-Star Slugger
With the trade deadline now less than two months away, we at MLBTR are setting our sights backwards for a bit to highlight past trades of rental players to provide a loose guideline of what sort of returns fans can expect with their teams’ current rental players. With an arbitrary cutoff point of 2017-21, we’re counting down the top 10 returns that a team got when selling a rental player. We’ve already published some honorable mentions as well as entries No. 10, No. 9, No. 8, No. 7, No. 6, No. 5 and No. 4. If you disagree with our rankings, let us know! It’s all part of the subjective fun! Onto No. 3…
The Blue Jays had made it as far as the ALCS in both 2015 and 2016 and were looking to compete again in 2017. The saw both José Bautista and Edwin Encarnación become free agents after 2016 but were able to re-sign Bautista. Encarnación got away, but they tried to replace him by signing Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce, while also fortifying the bullpen with signings of Joe Smith and J.P. Howell.
Unfortunately, the Jays couldn’t keep it going for a third straight year. By July 31, they were 49-57 and in last place in the American League East, nine games out in the division and seven games back in the Wild Card race. They decided to do some selling, trading Smith to Cleveland and also trading Francisco Liriano to Houston.
Liriano, 33 at that time, had just been acquired by the Jays from the Pirates in a deadline deal one year earlier. It was essentially a salary dump for the Bucs, as the Jays took on all of what remained of Liriano’s contract. The Pirates were grateful enough for that kindness that they included prospects Harold Ramírez and Reese McGuire in the deal, taking back only Drew Hutchison in return. Neither Ramírez or McGuire would establish themselves in the majors with the Jays, though they have each now done so for AL East rivals. Liriano had a 5.46 ERA going into that trade but finished the season strong, posting a 2.92 ERA with the Jays and helping them get into the playoffs.
However, he was struggling again in 2017, as he had a 5.88 ERA through 18 starts with Toronto. He was still enjoying good results against lefties, as they had hit just .230/.254/.361 against him on the year. The Astros decided to take a shot on grabbing Liriano and converting him into a left-on-left relief specialist, despite the fact that he had worked almost exclusively as a starter in his career.
Liriano was making $13MM that year, with about $4.48MM still remaining to be paid out at the time of the deal. That would have been a fine salary for a solid rotation member but was on the high side for the specialized role the Astros envisioned. The Jays offset some of that by taking on outfielder Nori Aoki, who was making $5.5MM that year. But the real get for the Jays was young outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
For the Astros, Liriano made 20 relief appearances down the stretch with a 4.40 ERA despite a 15.2% walk rate. He then made another five appearances in the postseason with a 3.86 ERA. The club emerged victorious and won their first ever World Series title, though that achievement is now marred by the revelations of their elaborate sign-stealing scheme.
For the Jays, they released Aoki less than a month after the deal, emphasizing that their real focus was Hernández. Just 24 years old at that time, he was considered one of Houston’s top 10 prospects and had already made his major league debut. He hadn’t yet established himself in the bigs, hitting just .230/.304/.420 in his first 113 plate appearances. However, he had always hit the minors and was slashing .279/.369/.485 in Triple-A at the time of the deal. The Astros had an outfield mix that consisted of George Springer, Josh Reddick and Derek Fisher, with prospect Kyle Tucker on the cusp of his debut, leaving Hernández somewhat blocked from regular playing time.
The Jays put Hernández into 26 games down the stretch that year, and he quickly showed his tremendous power potential, hitting eight home runs in that brief time. There were also some concerning elements, as he walked in only 6.3% of his plate appearances while striking out at a glaring 37.9% clip. Nonetheless, it was an encouraging showing for a young outfielder who had yet to show he could handle himself in the majors.
Hernandez took on a regular role in the Toronto outfield from there, and the first couple of seasons had mixed results, generally mirroring that late-2017 debut in Toronto. He hit 22 home runs in 2018 and 26 more the year after, but he also struck out in 32% of his plate appearances. His 8.7% walk rate was close to league average, but his overall batting line was .235/.304/.470. Despite the obvious power, the punchouts dragged his wRC+ down to 104 over that two-year span, indicating he was just a bit above average overall. He stole 11 bases in that time but his defensive metrics were poor.
The next three seasons would prove to be much better, however. From 2020 to 2022, he struck out in 27.2% of his trips to the plate, still above league average but a significant improvement on his previous work. He did that without sacrificing any power, launching 73 home runs in those two-plus seasons. His .283/.333/.519 line in that time translated to a 132 wRC+, putting him in the top 25 among all hitters in the league in that category. He earned Silver Slugger awards in both 2020 and 2021 and was an All-Star in the latter season. That coincided with the club’s return to contention, as Hernández slotted into the middle of the lineup alongside up-and-coming star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, helping the club reach the postseason in both 2020 and 2022.
Despite the great work at the plate, the defense continued to be subpar. Hernandez has career tallies of -23 Defensive Runs Saved, -23 Outs Above Average and a grade of -21 from Ultimate Zone Rating. Going into 2023, the Jays set out to be a better defensive club, trading away bat-first players like Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. while bringing in Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho. Hernández was flipped to the Mariners for pitchers Erik Swanson and Adam Macko.
Looked at on its own, the Liriano swap looks great for the Blue Jays. They traded an impending free agent pitcher who was struggling to a 5.88 ERA on the year, netting themselves a lineup regular who essentially played at a 30-homer-per-year pace for five seasons. When he had one year of club control remaining, they flipped him for a couple of pitchers that extended the benefits into the future. Swanson has become the setup man to closer Jordan Romano, posting a 2.56 ERA this year while earning 16 holds. He can be controlled for two more seasons via arbitration. Macko is struggling in High-A at the moment but is still just 22 years old. Looking back to the initial deal with the Pirates, the whole transaction tree looks even better as the club turned Hutchison into Liriano, then Hernandez and now Swanson/Macko.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: Stroman Lobbies for Extension, Mets’ Woes and Astros Seeking Bats
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:
- Marcus Stroman lobbying for an extension with the Cubs (1:40)
- The struggling Mets lose Pete Alonso to the injured list (6:00)
- The Astros seem more focused on getting bats than arms at the deadline (10:05)
Plus, we answer your questions, including:
- Other than a pure prospect, I don’t see a difference making middle of the order bat being available at the trade deadline. Be it a 2 month rental or even someone with 1 or 2 years of control. Do you? If so please tell me about him. (14:45)
- Could this be the year in which the O’s get a starter? They’re notoriously cheap when it comes to big contracts or giving up the farm, but I can’t see any team going deep into the playoffs with Kyle Gibson or Tyler Wells as their Game One ace. If so, who are the top candidates, knowing that the O’s will have to compete on the market with any team with a winning percentage over .500? (19:45)
- The Cardinals are full of young players that may not be stars in the making, but probably get a fairer shot at regular playing time on many other rosters to prove their worth. If the Cards ultimately become sellers at the deadline, do they really get much value in moving guys like Iván Herrera, Juan Yepez, Luken Baker, Moises Gomez, and/or one of their outfielders? Or are they content to have that depth if the returns are minimal? (22:35)
Check out our past episodes!
- Elly De La Cruz, Alek Manoah’s Demotion and Surgery for Jacob deGrom – listen here
- The Wide-Open NL Wild Card Race, Returning Pitchers and Cast-Off Veterans – listen here
- The Mets are turning things around, and how serious are the Mariners, Marlins and Diamondbacks? – listen here
Lance McCullers Jr. Undergoes Season-Ending Flexor Tendon Surgery
4:16PM: Brown spoke with reporters (including Danielle Lerner) today about McCullers’ injury, and didn’t give any more specifics on when in 2024 McCullers could return. The right-hander will begin throwing in November.
2:53PM: The Astros announced that Lance McCullers Jr. underwent forearm surgery on Tuesday, which will end the right-hander’s 2023 season. The procedure removed a bone spur and, more significantly, repaired McCullers’ damaged right flexor tendon.
McCullers has been rehabbing a muscle strain suffered early in Spring Training. Houston GM Dana Brown said last month that the team was looking at the All-Star break as a very rough estimate for when McCullers would be fully ready to return, but in the interim, McCullers suffered a pair of setbacks — he went from mound work to throwing off of flat ground, and was then shut down altogether due to continued soreness in his right arm. A subsequent MRI presumably revealed the flexor tendon damage, and thus McCullers will now close the books on his 2023 campaign without a single pitch thrown.
As Brown explained in a team press release, “each time [McCullers] built himself up to an increased pitch total off the mound, the pain would come back. It’s unfortunate, but we look forward to him being back on the mound next season.” Perhaps noteworthy is the fact that Brown and the release’s initial paragraph didn’t specify when McCullers could be back in 2024, which would seemingly hint that the righty won’t be ready for the start of Spring Training.
This will mark the second lost season for McCullers in the last five years, as he also missed all of the 2019 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. A flexor tendon strain suffered during the 2021 playoffs also limited McCullers to 47 2/3 innings last season, though he did return in time to make some starts down the stretch and throughout the postseason during the Astros’ World Series championship run. The press release noted that the Spring Training injury represented a re-aggravation of that same 2021 injury, so hopefully the surgery will finally correct the issue that has plagued McCullers for the better part of two years.
Between McCullers’ procedure and Luis Garcia‘s Tommy John surgery, the Astros have lost two members of their projected starting five to season-ending injuries. Jose Urquidy has also been on the 15-day IL since the start of May due to shoulder inflammation, and while an MRI came back clean, Urquidy isn’t expected back until perhaps the All-Star break. (On the plus side, Urquidy did tell Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle that he is hoping to throw a bullpen session in about a week’s time.) If these injuries weren’t enough, former top prospect Forrest Whitley might also miss the rest of the season due to a lat strain.
Somewhat remarkably, Houston’s makeshift group of starters has still been one of the better rotations in baseball, in the latest testament to the organization’s minor league depth. Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier have led the way as more experienced arms, but rookies Hunter Brown and J.P. France and swingman Brandon Bielak have all pitched well. The latest edition of the MLBTR Podcast addressed what the Astros might do at the deadline in regards to adding starting pitching, including whether or not they might prioritize hitting over pitching in the wake of Yordan Alvarez‘s oblique strain.
Between McCullers’ abbreviated 2022 season and now his lost 2023 season, it has been an unwelcome start to the five-year, $85MM extension the right-hander inked in March 2021. McCullers is still owed $51MM between 2024-26, and if he is able to put his flexor problems behind him, there is plenty of time to better make good on the Astros’ investment. Of course, it is also yet to be seen exactly how much of the 2024 season McCullers could miss, or whether or not he’ll be able to fully stay healthy given all the accumulated wear and tear on his arm in recent years.
Yordan Alvarez Out At Least Four Weeks
Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is likely to miss at least four weeks of action with his current oblique strain, general manager Dana Brown said in this morning’s appearance on the Sean Salisbury Show on SportsTalk 790 AM (audio link).
“It’s going to take at least two weeks for us to get a feel for how it’s healing,” said Brown. “You take those two weeks and then another week to figure out when he starts to have some activity, and OK, how’s his body responding? That’s three weeks right there. You’re looking at, once he’s starting to swing a bat, maybe it’s four weeks or so.”
Brown went on to note that the Astros will be cautious with Alvarez’s return, as they want to avoid a scenario where he rushes back and quickly requires another IL stint and an additional four weeks away from the lineup. Brown declined to put a specific timeline on the return, noting that the team won’t know exactly how quickly Alvarez can return until they see how his body responds to the current shutdown.
There’s no replacing a hitter of Alvarez’s caliber in any team’s lineup. The 25-year-old slugger is on the short list of MLB’s best hitters, batting .277/.388/.589 with 17 home runs this season and .293/.384/.590 with 115 home runs in just 1779 career plate appearances (an average of nearly 44 homers per 162 games played). The Astros currently rank 15th in the Majors both in runs scored (304) and in home runs (76). They’re hitting .246/.316/.401 as a team.
Brown also indicated that Michael Brantley is running, throwing and hitting without any pain at the moment. The 36-year-old veteran can’t replicate Alvarez’s production but could help soften the blow if he’s able to return from the injured list before Alvarez. Brantley hasn’t suited up for the Astros yet in 2023 as he continues to rehab from last year’s shoulder surgery, but he hit .288/.370/.416 with Houston last year and is a .306/.368/.464 hitter in his four prior seasons with the team.
Astros GM: “Versatile” Left-Handed Bat Would Be “Ideal” Deadline Acquisition
There’s still seven weeks until this year’s Aug. 1 trade deadline, but teams are beginning to look ahead and identify their preferred areas of upgrade even with plenty of schedule left before that pivotal date. D-backs GM Mike Hazen candidly discussed some of his team’s needs last week, and Astros GM Dana Brown did the same over the weekend in an appearance with Robert Ford on Houston’s Sports Talk 790 AM (audio link). Specifically, Brown called a “versatile” left-handed bat who can play both the infield and outfield an “ideal” addition for his club.
“We’re having meetings about trade, and if we can add a bat, that would be outstanding,” says Brown. “We’re not opposed to adding another arm if it makes sense and if the deal is right, but I really feel like the pitching has carried us for the most part this season. If we can add a bat, that would be exciting. … A left-handed bat would be exciting, but any bat that can hit both sides, that’s actually good too. In terms of position, if you can get a guy that can play multiple positions, that would be great. You could give some guys some time in the outfield, give the first baseman a day, give the DH a day. Having a guy that’s versatile — that would be ideal.”
With Yordan Alvarez and Michael Brantley both on the injured list — Brantley has yet to even play this season — the only left-handed bat in Houston’s lineup is Kyle Tucker. The Astros also have a primarily right-handed bench, with only catcher Cesar Salazar offering a lefty stick. The disparity is plenty apparent when looking at the team’s splits. Astros hitters are batting a strong .260/.326/.437 against lefties in 2023 (111 wRC+, 10th in MLB) but have a .241/.310/.382 output against righties (94 wRC+, 18th in MLB).
Given the seven weeks remaining between now and the deadline, it’s impossible to say exactly who’ll be available that fits that description, though there are some names who seem likelier than others. For example, assuming he’s back from the injured list and at full strength by that time, former NL MVP Cody Bellinger could fit the bill. The Cubs are currently nine games under .500, and Bellinger is playing on a one-year contract.
More controllable names who speculatively meet that criteria include A’s slugger Seth Brown (controlled through 2026), Tigers utilityman Zach McKinstry (through 2027) and Jays infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio (through 2025). Oakland’s Brown missed more than a month with an oblique strain and hasn’t gotten going so far in 2023, but he’s a career .240/.311/.483 hitter against righties. He can play first base and all three outfield spots, and the A’s are of course open to trading just about anyone. The Biggio name is royalty in Houston, but the versatile 28-year-old has been relegated to a seldom-used bench role in Toronto that leaves both him and the organization in a tough spot. The Tigers probably plan to keep McKinstry around given those additional four years of control, but they’ve lost nine straight and are now 11 games under .500, so there’s likely not much to which they’ll be completely closed off. If the Giants dip out of the race, LaMonte Wade Jr. would fit this bill perfectly, but San Francisco is only a half-game back from an NL Wild Card spot for the time being.
Of course, we’re still likely weeks away from serious trade talks percolating. Deals of significance in June are rare (albeit not unprecedented), making July a far likelier timetable for trade activity to pick up in earnest — particularly after the All-Star Game and MLB Draft are completed. As things stand, the Astros aren’t yet even fully sure as to when they can expect Alvarez and Brantley back. That pair of timetables will surely impact the urgency of this pursuit, but even with both at full strength, there’s plenty of room for Houston to add a lefty bat to manager Dusty Baker’s collection of hitters.
AL Notes: Astros, Fleming, Hendriks, Rucinski
In a radio appearance today, Astros GM Dana Brown provided updates on the club’s pair of injured, lefty-swinging outfielders, as relayed by Chandler Rome of The Athletic and Mark Berman of Fox 26. Brown notes that there’s currently no timetable for the return of slugger Yordan Alvarez to Houston’s lineup, and that one isn’t expected to crystalize in the coming days, with the GM suggesting that it will take “at least a week” for the club to have confidence in a timetable for Alvarez. Any missed time for Alvarez is a severe blow to the Astros, as the slugger has posted another phenomenal season so far in 2023, slashing .277/.388/.589 in 57 games before hitting the injured list with what has been described as “right oblique discomfort.”
In more optimistic news, Brown notes that veteran outfielder Michael Brantley is making good progress in his rehab from shoulder inflammation after he was shut down last month. Brantley has yet to appear in a game this season after undergoing shoulder surgery last summer, but Brown notes that the veteran is playing catch and taking pain-free swings in the batting cage. While the update is certainly a positive one, it sounds as though Brantley is still a ways away from returning to the Astros, who would surely benefit from the boost the 36-year old could provide to their lineup.
More from around the AL…
- The Rays placed left-hander Josh Fleming on the 60-day injured list yesterday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes that Fleming is scheduled to meet with specialist Dr. Keith Meister later this week. When asked about the appointment, Fleming acknowledged to reporters that a ligament issue is possible, leaving a worst case scenario of Tommy John surgery on the table. That’s certainly a worrisome possibility for Tampa, as the club has seen their starting depth tested with as each of Jeffrey Springs, Drew Rasmussen, and Tyler Glasnow have spent significant portions of the season on the injured list.
- White Sox reliever Liam Hendriks was placed on the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation earlier today, temporarily halting the closer’s inspiring return to the big leagues following his recovery from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. As relayed by James Fegan of The Athletic, GM Rick Hahn said that Hendriks’s current ailment has similarities to a flexor strain he dealt with last season that left him on the shelf for just under a month. The club is hopeful that this current injury will have a similar timeline, though Hendriks will undergo an MRI to confirm that timetable. After a difficult first outing back from the injured list, Hendriks has posted a 2.25 ERA with a save and three strikeouts in his last four appearances.
- The Athletics provided an update on right-hander Drew Rucinski, who has been on the injured list with a stomach illness since late last month. As noted by MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos, Rucinski’s stomach ailment has improved, but the right-hander is dealing with a low-grade MCL sprain in his right knee that occurred during a bullpen session. The injury will leave him shut down from throwing for 2 to 3 weeks. Rucinski signed with the A’s on a one-year deal with a club option for 2024 this past offseason, but has managed just four starts for the club, pitching to a 9.00 ERA in 18 innings of work with a whopping 14 walks allowed compared to jut six strikeouts.
Astros Place Yordan Alvarez On Injured List
3:10pm: The corresponding move is that catcher César Salazar has been recalled, per Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle.
2:20pm: The Astros announced that outfielder Yordan Alvarez has been placed on the 10-day injured list with right oblique discomfort. The Astros are in Cleveland tonight but he will head back to Houston for further evaluation. The corresponding move isn’t publicly known at this time.
Alvarez was removed from yesterday’s game against the Blue Jays due to this oblique issue. It’s still unknown exactly how serious it is, with the further testing hopefully shedding more light on it, but he’ll now be on the shelf for at least 10 days.
Time will tell how significant his absence will be, but the Astros will undoubtedly be worse off for whatever that length ultimately proves to be. Alvarez is one of the premiere hitters in the league, having hit .293/.384/.588 in his career for a wRC+ of 164. He has been right in line with that kind of production this year, having hit 17 home runs already while slashing .272/.384/.579 for a wRC+ of 165.
Injuries have been a focus of the Astros in 2023 as Michael Brantley has been out all year, Jose Altuve has missed significant time and the pitching staff has had a handful of notable absences as well. Despite all of that, they are still 36-27 and hanging onto a Wild Card spot, though they are just half a game ahead of the Blue Jays at the moment. Losing the potent bat of Alvarez will create another challenge for the club going forward.
Alvarez has played 22 games in left field this year but has otherwise been serving as the designated hitter. Without Alvarez or Brantley, the club will have Kyle Tucker, Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers and Corey Julks in the outfield mix and could potentially rotate those players through the DH slot now, though the corresponding move could also put another player into that mix as well.
Lance McCullers Jr. Headed For MRI After Experiencing Setback
Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. had a setback in his rehab from a forearm strain, general manager Dana Brown told reporters this evening (relayed by Chandler Rome of the Athletic and Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle). He’ll head for an MRI tomorrow and the team is expected to provide an update next week.
It’s an ominous development for a pitcher who has had an unfortunate series of arm issues over the past few years. McCullers underwent Tommy John surgery in late 2018 and missed the entire subsequent season. He was healthy and effective for most of 2020 and ’21 but suffered a flexor strain in his forearm during the latter postseason. That kept him out until the following August, limiting him to 11 combined starts between the regular season and the club’s World Series run.
McCullers’ latest issue arose over the offseason. He was diagnosed with a muscle strain in his forearm and shut down for a few months. His ramp-up process hit a snag in late May when continued soreness led the club to scale him back from bullpen sessions to flat-ground work. According to Brown, even those throwing sessions were causing McCullers discomfort, necessitating further imaging.
It’s too soon to know whether McCullers will need to go back under the knife. He and the organization are surely hopeful they’ll be able to avoid surgery. Yet it’s clear that McCullers’ return won’t be imminent. Brown acknowledged this development could play into their approach to the trade deadline.
“Even if (McCullers) could come back, we would have to build him up and it’s going to take a little while to do that, so we have to get our mind set and keep the thought process of strengthening the rotation,” the GM told the media (relayed by Young). “If there’s a deal that we can do, we’ll entertain it. But at the end of the day, our top three guys, make no mistake, are really good.”
Each of Cristian Javier, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown has a sub-4.00 ERA with a strikeout rate north of 26%. Valdez and Javier are both allowing fewer than three earned runs per nine innings and have multi-year track records of top-of-the-rotation production. The rookie Hunter Brown isn’t quite as proven, though he’s a former top prospect who has hit the ground running with a 3.05 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate and 54.9% grounder percentage over his first 88 2/3 MLB innings.
The Astros could feel comfortable running any member of that trio out for a postseason start. The rest of the staff has taken a number of hits over the past few months. Luis Garcia was lost for the season to Tommy John surgery. McCullers’ status is in question. José Urquidy is unlikely to be back before the All-Star Break due to a shoulder issue. Brandon Bielak and J.P France have stepped into the starting five and pitched fairly well themselves, though neither player misses many bats nor had much MLB starting experience before this season.
Houston enters play Thursday at 36-26. They’re in possession of a Wild Card spot but 4 1/2 back of the Rangers as they look to defend their AL West crown. Losing McCullers, Garcia and Urquidy certainly hasn’t helped their cause in trying to hold off a scorching Texas club, but the rotation has more than held up its end of the bargain. Astros’ starters rank third in the majors with a 3.23 ERA and fourth with 350 2/3 innings pitched.
The offense, on the other hand, has been uncharacteristically middling. Houston is tied for 13th in runs and ranks 20th in on-base percentage (.316) and 17th in slugging (.399). Dana Brown unsurprisingly acknowledged the front office was open to ways to addressing the offense on the trade market. Which positions the club targets could be determined by how things play out over the next seven weeks.
First base, catcher and whichever of left field or designated hitter hasn’t been manned by Yordan Alvarez have been their biggest problem areas. There’s at least some question about whether they’d upgrade at all three spots, though. The Astros love Martín Maldonado as a defensive presence behind the dish and have tolerated lackluster offense at the position for years. They just signed José Abreu to a three-year free agent deal last winter; benching him a few months into that contract would be a tough pill to swallow, though he’s now sitting on a ghastly .212/.273/.261 line. Michael Brantley could be an option for left field/DH at some point. He has yet to play this season as he recovers from last summer’s shoulder procedure, but Brown noted today that he’s hitting in batting practice and throwing in drills.