Notes

AL West Notes: Seager, Moniak, Rodriguez

By Nick Deeds | May 12, 2023 at 2:54pm CDT

Rangers fans have been anticipating the imminent return of star shortstop Corey Seager from his hamstring injury for some time now. As noted by Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News, the club appears to have a clear plan in place for Seager’s rehab, which began yesterday, and return to action in the majors. After playing five innings at shortstop as planned last night, Seager is expected to start as the DH for the club’s Double-A affiliate in Frisco before playing seven innings at shortstop on Sunday. If all goes well, manager Bruce Bochy indicated that Seager could be activated from the injured list in time for Monday’s game against the Braves.

Should Seager indeed be ready to return early next week, the Rangers would return one of their best hitters to a team that has taken control of the AL West with a 23-14 record in the early going. Seager was off to a torrid start through 11 games this season, slashing .359/.468/.538 in 49 plate appearance prior to his stint on the IL. As the Rangers have indicated a desire to keep Ezequiel Duran in the lineup going forward, Seager’s return could cut into the playing time of players like Brad Miller, Robbie Grossman, and Bubba Thompson.

More from around the AL West…

The Angels today announced that they have recalled outfielder Mickey Moniak to the big league club. Moniak will take the roster spot of infielder Jake Lamb, who was previously reported to have been optioned down to Triple-A. A former 1st overall pick by the Phillies in 2016, Moniak has struggled offensively since his big league debut in 2020, slashing just .157/.218/.268 in 167 plate appearances, a slash line that’s 68% worse than league average by measure of wRC+. Moniak has impressed so far at the Triple-A level this season, however, with a solid .308/.355/.585 slash line in 141 plate appearances this season. Moniak figures to factor into the corner outfield mix along with Taylor Ward and Hunter Renfroe, with Mike Trout locked in as the everyday center fielder.
Mariners star Julio Rodriguez moved down to the sixth spot in the batting order in yesterday’s game against the Rangers, marking the first time this season the young outfielder batted outside of the leadoff spot. Manager Scott Servais told reporters, including The Athletic’s Corey Brock, that the move was designed to take pressure off of last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, who has scuffled to a .205/.270/.384 slash line, good for a wRC+ of just 85. Rodriguez, for his part, expressed support for the decision, noting that he believed it was the best thing for the team.

NL Notes: Nationals, Scherzer, Gallen

By Nick Deeds | May 12, 2023 at 11:49am CDT

Fans of the Nationals received positive injury news today, as their Triple-A affiliate in Rochester announced that left fielder Corey Dickerson is set to begin a rehab assignment. Dickerson signed in Washington on a one-year deal this past offseason, but appeared in just two games for the club prior to the club placing Dickerson on the 10-day injured list with a calf strain. Dickerson, who will celebrate his 34th birthday later this month, is in his eleventh season as a major league player, with a career 112 wRC+.

That solid production would be a boon to a Nationals club that has mostly used 28-year-old outfielder Alex Call in left field while Dickerson has been on the shelf. Call has struggled so far in 143 trips to the plate for the Nationals this season, with a .230/.329/.336 slash line (86 wRC+) so far this season. That being said, Dickerson is not without flaws himself: his wRC+ has declined to a mark of just 97 since the beginning of the 2020 season, and he has hampered by a significant platoon split that has seen him post just a .693 OPS against left-handed pitchers throughout his career.

Fortunately for the Nationals, however, they have a seemingly perfect platoon partner for Dickerson in the form of Stone Garrett, a 27-year-old slugger who has slashed .344/.368/.594 against left-handers in 72 career plate appearances in the majors. Platooning Dickerson with Garrett upon his return to the lineup could help the Nationals solve their offensive woes in left field, where the club’s 85 wRC+ ranks seventh worst in the majors.

Dickerson may not be the only reinforcements on the horizon from the injured list, however. MLB.com’s injury tracker notes that right-hander Chad Kuhl, who signed with the Nationals on a minor league deal during the offseason, threw a simulated game of over 60 pitches earlier this week. Kuhl, who has been on the IL with sprained toe since the beginning of the month, could threaten the spot of right-hander Jake Irvin in the rotation going forward. While Irvin is expected to make his next start, the Nationals figure to reevaluate their rotation after that, with Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post noting that Kuhl’s return could give the Nationals the opportunity to manage the 26-year-old Irvin’s innings going forward.

More from around the National League…

Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests that the Mets, while not concerned about the neck issue that caused veteran right-hander Max Scherzer to be scratched from his start earlier in the week, are worried that the 38-year-old’s ailment near the scapula, which caused the club to push back one of his starts in mid-April, could be an issue that Scherzer will need to manage all year. It’s been a difficult start to the 2023 campaign for Scherzer, who has posted a 5.56 ERA in 22 2/3 innings amid multiple injury concerns and a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on foreign substances.
As noted by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, budding ace Zac Gallen has expressed interest in staying with the Diamondbacks long term, though he noted a preference for avoiding in-season extension negotiations. Gallen, 27, has emerged as one of the game’s best pitchers in recent years, including a breakout campaign last season that saw him post a 2.54 ERA in 184 innings en route to a top 5 finish in NL Cy Young award voting. Fortunately for Arizona, they have plenty of time to discuss a long term deal with their young ace, who is set to hit free agency after the 2025 campaign.

AL Notes: Altuve, Rodon, Twins

By Nick Deeds | May 12, 2023 at 10:24am CDT

Astros second baseman and franchise face Jose Altuve is set to begin a rehab assignment this evening with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Sugar Land. Altuve has been on the injured list all season after undergoing surgery on his right thumb after suffering an injury during the World Baseball Classic this spring. Though Altuve was initially expected to miss at least the first two months of the season, his rehab process gone quite well, allowing him to begin a rehab assignment somewhat ahead of schedule.

That’s great news for the Astros, who have scuffled to a 19-18 record in the early going this season, behind both the Rangers and Angels in the AL West. While Mauricio Dubon has filled in adequately at second base during Altuve’s absence, his .287/.306/.357 slash line in 134 plate appearances this season pales in comparison to the .300/.387/.533 line Altuve put up last season en route to the third top-5 finish in AL MVP award voting of his career. Houston is certainly hoping their 33-year-old superstar can jog a lineup whose .672 OPS as a team ranks bottom three in the majors.

More from around the American League…

Carlos Rodon has yet to throw a regular season pitch for the Yankees this season after signing a six-year, $162MM deal with the club this past offseason, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post provides some clarity on the lefty’s timetable for return. Heyman notes that with Rodon resuming throwing today after the cortisone injection he received earlier in the week, the 30-year-old figures to be six weeks away from his Yankees debut, should everything go according to plan. The sooner Rodon is able to return to the Yankees, the better, as the club has fallen to fifth place in the AL East with a 21-18 record to open the season. Rodon, who has posted a 2.67 ERA in 310 2/3 innings since the beginning of the 2021 season, would surely bolster a Yankees club that has been forced to rely on Clarke Schmidt, Jhony Brito, and Domingo German to fill out the club’s rotation behind Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes.
Twins reliever Ronny Henriquez has been reinstated from the 15-day IL and optioned to Triple-A, per the club’s communication director Dustin Morse. Henriquez, 23 next month, pitched to a 2.31 ERA in 11 2/3 innings of work with the Twins as a rookie last season, striking out just 18% of batters faced, though he generated an impressive 52.8% groundball rate. That being said, Henriquez struggled during his rehab assignment this season, with a 4.76 ERA in 5 2/3 innings during that time. Henriquez will look to get right in the minors on a more permanent basis going forward while acting as bullpen depth for the Twins alongside Josh Winder.

AL Notes: Moncada, Lewis, Glasnow

By Darragh McDonald and Anthony Franco | May 11, 2023 at 9:12pm CDT

The White Sox could welcome third baseman Yoan Moncada back tomorrow, manager Pedro Grifol tells reporters, including James Fegan of The Athletic. It doesn’t seem to be confirmed yet but Moncada, who has been rehabbing with Triple-A Charlotte, won’t be playing with them tonight.

Moncada was off to a great start this year, hitting .308/.325/.564 through nine games before landing on the injured list with back tightness. It was later revealed that the pain was caused by a protruding disc that was touching a nerve. It seems he’s moved passed the issue, if the minor league numbers are any indication. He’s hit a comical .571/.667/1.071 through five rehab games for Charlotte. Getting Moncada back without missing a beat would be a tremendous boost for the Sox, who have also seen Moncada’s replacement Jake Burger hit the injured list recently.

2022 was a disappointing season for Moncada, who dealt with various injuries and hit just .212/.273/.353 in 104 games. But a healthy Moncada can be a gamechanger, as he showed with a .263/.375/.412 performance in 2021. With a 13-26 record, they’ll need a boost like that to help them get back into contention.

Some other notes from around the American League Central…

Twins infielder Royce Lewis began a rehab assignment today with Double-A Wichita. As Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic writes, Lewis is expected to play both shortstop and third base during his rehab stint as he looks to recover from last year’s torn ACL. A shortstop for the majority of his career thus far, Lewis started spending a bit of time in the outfield last year in deference to Carlos Correa. Now that Correa is locked in as the shortstop in Minnesota for the foreseeable future, he probably has a better path to playing time at third, where the club just optioned José Miranda yesterday. The first overall pick in the 2017 draft, Lewis has long been considered one of the top prospects in baseball but has been frequently held back by injuries. He posted an excellent .300/.317/.550 batting line in his first 12 major league games last year before tearing the ACL in his right knee, the second year in a row he was felled by tearing that ligament.
Rays’ fans were dealt a minor scare yesterday when Tyler Glasnow left his rehab outing after one inning because of some side soreness. The club maintained the removal was precautionary, and it doesn’t seem there’s any cause for concern. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters before tonight’s win over the Yankees that Glasgow’s tests came back clear and he’s expected to resume his rehab stint next Tuesday (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). The big righty is ticketed for one following rehab start as he works back from an oblique strain that sent him to the IL to open the season. He should be back in the MLB rotation thereafter if all goes as planned. The Rays have had no issues without Glasnow, sprinting to a 30-9 start to open the year.

AL Notes: Rodon, Walsh, Brantley, Martin

By Anthony Franco | May 10, 2023 at 7:47pm CDT

The Yankees have been without Carlos Rodón to this point. New York’s big offseason acquisition was sidelined by a minor forearm strain in Spring Training and subsequently bothered by back issues. The back has kept him out of action and raised particular concern last week when Rodón told reporters that doctors had called his injury a “chronic” problem.

While that cast plenty of uncertainty as to when the star southpaw would be able to take the mound, it’s possible he starts ramping up in the coming days. Chris Kirschner of the Athletic tweeted yesterday that Rodón will work out on Friday after receiving a cortisone injection. It’s possible he progresses back to mound work as soon as this weekend, which would enable him to begin building strength via a throwing program.

The Yankees have also been without Frankie Montas and Luis Severino due to injuries. Montas is going to be out until late in the year, but Severino threw 3 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre to start a rehab assignment this afternoon. Those injuries have forced the Yankees to rely on the likes of Domingo Germán, Jhony Brito and Clarke Schmidt out of the rotation to middling results.

Checking in on some other injury situations around the AL:

Jared Walsh will head on a rehab stint with the Angels’ top affiliate in Salt Lake this weekend, the team informed reporters (including Sam Blum of the Athletic). He’ll play at least three games with the Bees before the Halos determine whether he’s ready for his first MLB action of the season. Walsh lost the first six weeks to insomnia and recurring headaches. Now that he’s put that behind him, he’ll try to get on track offensively. An All-Star in 2021, the lefty-swinging first baseman slumped to a .215/.269/.374 showing last year before his season was cut short by thoracic outlet syndrome. The Angels have divided first base reps almost evenly between Brandon Drury, Gio Urshela and Jake Lamb. The left-handed hitting Lamb has struggled in the early going and could be the odd man out once Walsh is ready to return.
Michael Brantley has yet to make his season debut for the Astros. Over the weekend, Houston had hinted he could be back for their three-game set in Anaheim to start the week. That didn’t happen and manager Dusty Baker said today the veteran outfielder departed the team to go for some testing (via Chandler Rome of the Athletic). The Astros were customarily reluctant to divulge specifics, but it’s no longer entirely clear when they expect Brantley to be ready for activation. He’d been ramping up from last year’s season-ending shoulder surgery and had played in nine rehab games with Triple-A Sugar Land through last Saturday.
The White Sox placed right-hander Davis Martin on the minor league injured list last week. Scott Merkin of MLB.com tweets that Martin has a forearm strain in his throwing arm. The issue’s severity isn’t clear, though forearm strains can sometimes be precursors for more serious injuries. At the very least, it seems he’ll be out of the short-term mix should the team need to tap into its rotation depth. Martin started nine of 14 MLB games last year, working to a 4.83 ERA across 63 1/3 innings. He entered 2023 as the #6 starter on the depth chart. Martin had been pitching well for Charlotte, allowing only five runs with 20 strikeouts and seven walks over 16 innings. Chicago has avoided rotation injuries at the big league level; the group of Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Michael Kopech and Mike Clevinger has taken all 38 starts thus far.

Mets Notes: Scherzer, Peterson, Yacabonis, Carrasco

By Darragh McDonald | May 9, 2023 at 3:38pm CDT

The Mets announced that today’s scheduled starter, Max Scherzer, was scratched due to neck spasms. Left-hander David Peterson was recalled to start tonight instead. Right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left quad strain, which opened a roster spot for Peterson and allowed the lefty to return less than 15 days after being optioned.

The issue with Scherzer appears to be minor, as he was not placed on the injured list, but it is at least somewhat concerning that he’s not at full health. The 38-year-old hasn’t quite seemed himself so far this season, seemingly unable to get into a good groove. He allowed eight earned runs in his first two outings but came back with five scoreless frames in his third. It was in his fourth start that he was ejected for excessive stickiness on his hands, which also led to a 10-game suspension. He showed a bit of rust after serving that sentence, allowing six earned runs against the Tigers last week.

All told, he has an ERA of 5.56 thus far, a significant difference from last year’s 2.29 mark. The severity of this neck issue will likely become more clear in the coming days but it appears to be yet another speed bump for a rotation that has seen many. Justin Verlander started the year on the injured list due to a teres major strain and just returned last week while José Quintana has been there all year due to rib surgery and isn’t expected to return until July. Carlos Carrasco began the year healthy but landed on the IL after just three starts due to a bone spur in his elbow. All of those hurdles are part of the reason the club has limped out to a 17-18 start and is seven games back of Atlanta in the NL East.

It remains to be seen whether Scherzer will just need a few days of extra rest or a significant stretch of time off. Peterson will likely be quickly optioned in the former scenario but could also stick around in the latter, joining Verlander, Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and Joey Lucchesi in the improvised rotation. Scherzer seems to be on the optimistic side of things, telling Tim Healey of Newsday that he’s expecting to miss just a couple of days and take the ball against the Nationals this weekend.

In a bit of good news, Carrasco seems to be working his way back as well. The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies announced that the veteran will be making a rehab start for them tonight as he tries to get back to the major league team. He was initially planned to start his rehab on the weekend but those plans were pushed back when he fell ill. It seems he’s recovered and the train is back on the tracks. He had a 3.97 ERA for the Mets last year but struggled to an 8.56 mark this year before the bone spur put him on the shelf.

If the Mets get a bit of luck, both Scherzer and Carrasco will be healthy and pitching well soon, which will likely nudge out Peterson and then one of Lucchesi or Megill. The former has a 4.43 ERA through four starts while the latter is at 4.33 in seven outings. Peterson hasn’t been able to fare well in his time this year, currently sporting a 7.34 ERA in his six starts.

AL West Notes: Seager, Miller, McCormick, Silseth

By Anthony Franco | May 8, 2023 at 8:01pm CDT

The Rangers look as if they’ll soon welcome back their star shortstop. Corey Seager is tentatively scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). That’d be a month to the day from when Seager strained his left hamstring while running the bases on April 11. The injury came with an initial four-week timeline and it seems that estimate will more or less be borne out.

Seager had been off to a fantastic start to the season. He was hitting .359/.469/.538 with more walks than strikeouts through his first 11 games. While it’s certainly unfortunate to lose a player of that caliber, the Rangers’ lineup has picked up the slack in his absence. Texas leads the majors in runs since Seager went down. That’s in part thanks to Ezequiel Durán, who seized the interim shortstop job with a .343/.378/.521 line in that time. While Seager is sure to return to shortstop after his minor league tune-up, Durán is likely to get plenty of run at designated hitter and in left field given that offensive outburst.

Elsewhere in the AL West:

A’s rookie starter Mason Miller is headed for evaluation after experiencing some tightness in his throwing elbow, manager Mark Kotsay told the team’s beat (relayed by Martín Gallegos of MLB.com). According to Kotsay, initial indications are the discomfort is tied to the flexor muscle rather than a ligament issue, although further testing will provide more clarity. Miller has been one of the lone bright spots for the A’s in a dreary season. Through his first four major league starts, he’s worked to a 3.38 ERA while punching out just under 26% of batters faced. One of the sport’s hardest throwers, Miller has a strong prospect reputation but he’s thrown only 50 professional innings dating back to the 2021 draft because of various injuries.
Astros outfielder Chas McCormick returns to the lineup after being reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Houston optioned infielder Rylan Bannon to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. McCormick missed just under a month with a back issue. Before the injury, the right-handed hitter had been off to a quality .275/.383/.500 showing in 11 games. He’ll get the nod in center field for tonight’s game in Anaheim, hitting seventh against Angels starter Patrick Sandoval. Houston has yet to activate Michael Brantley for his season debut, though manager Dusty Baker reiterated tonight that the veteran left fielder isn’t far off (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com).
The Angels lost starter José Suarez to the injured list this afternoon. That leaves a vacancy in their six-man rotation, one which seems likely to be filled by Chase Silseth. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets that Silseth is expected to step into the starting staff when the club first needs a sixth starter next week in Baltimore. (A Thursday off day this week delays that decision.) Silseth has pitched out of the bullpen thus far but started seven games as a rookie last season. He threw 72 pitches in relief of Suarez yesterday and has worked two-plus innings in three of his four outings. Lefty Tucker Davidson, who’d been in consideration for a rotation spot at the start of the season, has worked in somewhat shorter relief stints in recent weeks. According to Fletcher, the organization views it as less of an adjustment for Silseth to stretch into rotation work given his comparatively higher pitch counts out of the bullpen.

Pitching Notes: Suarez, Sanmartin, Wood, Fried

By Mark Polishuk | May 7, 2023 at 9:58pm CDT

Jose Suarez will receive an MRI after leaving today’s game in the third inning due to discomfort in his left shoulder. The Angels starter was rocked for seven runs over 2 2/3 innings, with Suarez telling reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian Wright) that he first started feeling the shoulder soreness during the second inning but he tried to keep going.

Between the Angels’ six-man rotation and an off-day on May 11, Suarez could get over a week of recuperation time before he is next needed to pitch, so it’s possible he might avoid the injured list if the MRI comes back clean. However, it seems more likely that the IL might be in order to get Suarez feeling better, and to perhaps act as a reset button on the left-hander’s season. After posting decent results as a swingman for Anaheim in 2021-22, Suarez has a 9.62 ERA over 24 1/3 innings in 2023.

More on other pitchers around baseball…

Reds southpaw Reiver Sanmartin left today’s game due to elbow soreness, and he told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that a trip to the 15-day injured list is likely in order. Sanmartin said his elbow issue has been bothering him “for a couple of weeks now. I’ve tried to pitch through it….I don’t feel like I have full control of where I want to put it in the zone.” The lingering injury probably explains Sanmartin’s lack of results, as he has an ungainly 7.07 ERA over 14 appearances and 14 innings for the Reds this season. Sanmartin is in his third MLB season, and had very strong numbers as a reliever in 2022 (despite a 6.35 ERA over 57 innings that was inflated by four disastrous starts). Assuming Sanmartin hits the IL, Alex Young will be the only left-hander in the Reds’ bullpen.
Alex Wood began a Triple-A rehab assignment today, allowing two runs (one earned) over 3 2/3 innings of work. It’s probably safe to assume that Wood will make one more rehab outing before returning to the Giants’ rotation, unless the club wanted to bring him back in a limited capacity or perhaps in piggyback situation with Ross Stripling. Either Stripling or Sean Manaea seems like the odd man out when Wood does return at full health, and it already seems like Wood will beat the much longer initial timeline given when he first went on the IL with a hamstring strain on April 18. Wood was off to a nice start, posting a 1.80 ERA of his first three games and 10 innings this season.
While not exactly an injury update, Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) that “we’re just going through some things right now” in regards to when staff ace Max Fried might make his next start. Fried won’t pitch against the Red Sox as initially scheduled on Wednesday, and Snitker also didn’t say whether or not Fried might be available to face the Blue Jays on Friday. Since Atlanta has off-days on both Monday and Thursday this week, it’s possible the Braves are figuring out how to align its rotation, especially since Kyle Wright’s injury has left the club with just four starters. That said, Snitker’s rather vague comment created some doubt about Fried’s status. While nothing was reported health-wise following Fried’s last start on Friday, he did have a rough outing in allowing seven runs (five earned) over six-plus innings against the Orioles.

AL East Notes: Cleavinger, Guerrero, Severino

By Mark Polishuk | May 7, 2023 at 6:32pm CDT

Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger suffered a knee injury during the 10th inning of today’s 7-6 victory over the Yankees. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times) that Cleavinger’s knee “grabbed on him” during a critical rundown play that eventually saw Aaron Hicks thrown out at home plate while trying to score the go-ahead run. More will be known once Cleavinger undergoes testing, but Cash indicated that the left-hander will likely be placed on the 15-day injured list.

Like most hurlers on the league-leading Rays, Cleavinger is having a nice season, with a 3.00 ERA over 15 appearances and 12 innings pitched. A 13% walk rate and a .160 BABIP are red flags, but Cleavinger is missing a lot of bats (30.4% strikeout rate) and is doing an excellent job of inducing soft contact. Tampa has Colin Poche, Jalen Beeks, and Josh Fleming already in the bullpen as other left-handed options, though Fleming has recently been enlisted into bulk pitcher duty. If the Rays aren’t concerned about keeping the lefty/righty balance in their pen, they can turn to any number of arms in the farm system, and hopefully Cleavinger won’t be sidelined for too long.

Astros Notes: Brantley, McCormick, Altuve, Urquidy

By Mark Polishuk and Nick Deeds | May 7, 2023 at 4:09pm CDT

The Astros are expected to get lineup reinforcements during their upcoming series in Anaheim, as outfielders Michael Brantley and Chas McCormick could both be back as early as Monday, according to MLB.com. While the pair were on the shelf, the club has relied on Jake Meyers and Corey Julks to fill in alongside Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez in Houston’s outfield mix. Meyers has been a solid stopgap option with a 104 wRC+ in 93 trips to the plate and excellent defense in center field, but Julks has struggled to an 80 wRC+ with a 27.6% strikeout rate in 87 plate appearances.

Of course, Brantley also did some work at first base during his rehab stint, so the Astros could be looking at the veteran as a possible complement to the struggling Jose Abreu. Brantley (who turns 36 next week) hasn’t played since June 26 due to shoulder problems that eventually required surgery in August, and thus Brantley missed out on the Astros’ World Series run.

Houston general manager Dana Brown discussed several injury situations during a radio interview on SportsTalk 790 (hat tip to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart), and noted that “McCormick is maybe a day ahead of” Brantley, so McCormick is the surer bet to be activated from the injured list during the Angels series. While McCormick doesn’t have Brantley’s lengthy track record of offense, he was off to a phenomenal start this season prior to being sidelined by a back injury, with a .275/.383/.500 slash line in 11 games.

Jose Altuve continues to make excellent progress in his recovery from thumb surgery, as the eight-time All-Star has progressed to both taking batting practice on the field and running the bases. After Altuve underwent his surgery in late March, it was initially expected to take at least eight weeks before the second baseman could even resume baseball activities, so he is already a few weeks ahead of schedule. Brown said that Altuve might even begin a minor league rehab assignment within the week, so that original late-May date might now be a more feasible target for Altuve’s return to the Astros lineup altogether.

The news isn’t as good about Jose Urquidy, as Brown said (Twitter links from McTaggart) “there’s a chance we could get him back somewhere around the All-Star break.” This represents a step back from some seemingly more positive reports from earlier this week, which suggested that Urquidy would be shut down from throwing until mid-May but could potentially return by early June. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day IL on May 1 with shoulder discomfort, though Urquidy has apparently avoided any structural damage since an MRI only revealed inflammation.

Still, Brown’s comments indicate a much longer absence is in store for Urquidy, as even the All-Star break might be more of a fluid target date than a firm timeline. It hasn’t been a banner week for Astros pitching, as Urquidy went to the IL and Luis Garcia was lost for the season entirely due to Tommy John surgery. With a rotation now thinned out, Brown noted that the Astros may have to rely on internal arms for now, given that the starting pitching market won’t really materialize until much closer to the trade deadline.

Brandon Bielak and rookie J.P. France have filled in for Urquidy and Garcia, joining Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, and rookie Hunter Brown in the starting five. Lance McCullers Jr. is also still a ways away from returning, though he did throw a full bullpen session on Saturday. McCullers has yet to pitch this season after suffering a muscle strain in his right arm during Spring Training.

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