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Astros Reinstate Pedro Baez From Injured List

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The Astros announced they’re activating reliever Pedro Báez from the 60-day injured list in advance of tonight’s game against the Rockies. Bullpen colleague Rafael Montero is landing on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort in a corresponding move. To open space for Báez on the 40-man roster, the club transferred righty Andre Scrubb from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

Báez, signed to a two-year deal over the winter, is finally in line to make his Astros debut. The 33-year-old missed a few weeks in Spring Training after testing positive for COVID-19, then felt soreness in his right shoulder during his attempt to ramp up a throwing program. The latter issue has kept him out of action for the past few months as the soreness has persisted. Fortunately, he’s now apparently healthy and able to contribute for the stretch run.

During his time with the Dodgers, Báez was quietly one of the league’s more consistent and productive relievers. He posted an ERA between 2.63 and 3.35 during each of his seven seasons in L.A. While Báez’s run prevention numbers never wavered, his peripherals have tailed off in recent seasons. The righty struck out a career-worst 18.6% of opponents last year with accompanying dips in swinging strike rate and velocity.

That came in a 17-inning sample during an anomalous year, though, and the Astros felt comfortable enough to add Báez on a $12.5MM guarantee. If he pitches at or near the level he showed throughout his Dodgers’ tenure, Báez would be a significant upgrade to a Houston relief unit that’s middle of the pack in terms of ERA (3.97) and strikeout/walk rate differential (15.2 percentage points).

Houston added Montero alongside Kendall Graveman from the Mariners at the trade deadline as part of an effort to shore up the bullpen. Montero had a nightmarish time in Seattle, but he’d begun his Astros tenure with six innings of one-run ball. He left Sunday’s game against the Twins with a shoulder issue, though, and his recovery timeline remains uncertain.

Scrubb is also down with a shoulder issue. The 26-year-old landed on the IL on July 19 with a strain. Today’s transfer rules him out for sixty days from that date, so he’s looking at a mid-September return in a best case scenario. There’s no word on whether or not the team expects he’ll be able to pitch again this season.

Manager Dusty Baker provided reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and Mark Berman of FOX 26) with updates on a pair of different injured players. Star third baseman Alex Bregman still isn’t ready to return, and his allotted twenty-day rehab window has passed. League rules stipulate that position players not prepared to return after the conclusion of their rehab period must remain inactive for at least five days before reembarking on a minor league assignment, so Bregman can’t return to game action until Friday.

Starter José Urquidy, meanwhile, is scheduled to begin his own rehab assignment tomorrow. Baker said the club is hopeful he’ll be back on a big league mound by September 1. Urquidy has been out since June 30 with right shoulder discomfort.

Astros Notes: Bregman, Brantley, Montero

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TODAY: Bregman is “not ready yet,” Baker said during a radio interview on SportsTalk 790 (hat tip to Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle).  The third baseman is “taking a couple days off to get some treatment” and will then presumably return to his minor league rehab assignment, with Baker hopeful Bregman can return to the Astros within 7-10 days.

AUGUST 8: Alex Bregman was in Houston today watching the Astros in action, and an official return to the field might not be far away.  Manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that Bregman was meeting with the team after playing nine innings in each of his last two rehab games with Triple-A Sugar Land.

A left quad strain sent Bregman to the 10-day injured list back on June 17, so it will be just shy of a two-month absence for the third baseman if he is indeed activated this week.  The Astros have a two-game series with the Rockies sandwiched between off-days on Monday and Thursday this week, and if Bregman is already in Houston, it would hint that he could be reinstated from the IL as early as Tuesday.

Between his quad issue and a week-long absence in April due to COVID-19 protocols, Bregman has played in only 59 games this season, but he has still been productive in hitting .275/.359/.428 over 262 plate appearances.  This roughly matches his slash line over 180 PA in 2020, as Bregman was hampered by a hamstring injury last year and limited to 44 games of the 60-game regular season.  While a big step down from his MVP-caliber numbers in 2018 and 2019, Bregman is certainly still a dangerous bat when healthy, and his return will help bolster a Houston team that has its eyes on more postseason success.

While Bregman’s probable return is good news for the Astros, the club also had some more injury scares in today’s 7-5 loss to the Twins.  The Astros announced that Michael Brantley was removed for precautionary reasons after a blow to the head during a collision with Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons while running the bases early in the game.  Brantley, in the lineup as the DH, was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the third inning.

In the eighth, Rafael Montero had to depart one pitch into a Rob Refsnyder plate appearance.  Entering the game in the previous inning, Montero retired his first five batters before walking Miguel Sano, and then picking up some type of injury against Refsnyder.  Post-game, Baker said Montero was suffering from some shoulder soreness, and will receive further examination by the team’s medical staff.

AL West Injury Notes: Gurriel, Bregman, Urquidy, Pinder

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Yuli Gurriel was scratched from tonight’s Astros game with neck stiffness, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Rome goes on to say that Gurriel was in “obvious discomfort” before speaking with the trainer. The 37-year-old is having his best season to date, with a slash of .324/.388/.490, producing a wRC+ of 145 and 3.0 fWAR. The extent of the injury is unclear at this point. But losing that level of production for any amount of time would be difficult to replace.

Help could be on the way, however, as Alex Bregman’s rehab is continuing tonight, according to Rome. There was some worry yesterday when he was pulled from a rehab game with hamstring tightness. But that seems to have been merely precautionary. Dusty Baker told Mark Berman of Fox 26 that they’re still hopeful he can return for their upcoming homestand, which runs from August 5th to 11th.

Other AL West notes…

  • Rome hears from Baker that Jose Urquidy is going to throw off a mound this week. Urquidy is currently mired in his second IL this year because of shoulder issues. When healthy, he’s been a solid member of Houston’s rotation, logging 77 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.38. His strikeout rate is a bit low at 21.8%, but his walk rate is an excellent 4.3%. His most recent IL placement was in late June, meaning he will presumably need a few rehab starts to rebuild his workload after missing more than a month.
  • Chad Pinder was taking grounders on the field today, according to Matt Kawahara of The San Francisco Chronicle. A’s Manager Bob Melvin says that Pinder hasn’t yet run the bases but “sprinting feels close to 100 percent.” The utility man has been out since July 8th with a hamstring strain. Before that, he was having a disappointing season, with a slash of .216/.269/.358. He might struggle to find playing time when he returns, given the recent additions of Starling Marte and Josh Harrison to the Oakland lineup.

Astros Activate Josh James From Injured List

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The Astros activated reliever Josh James from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land last night. A 40-man roster spot was opened earlier in the day when right-hander Ralph Garza was designated for assignment.

James underwent left hip surgery last October, a procedure that originally called for a six-to-eight month recovery timeline. His rehab process was delayed a bit further by a hamstring issue, but the 28-year-old is now healthy enough to serve as a potential bullpen option in Houston down the stretch.

Between 2018-20, James made 68 appearances (including six starts) and tossed 101 2/3 frames, showing the ability to work multiple innings. James broke in with a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings as a rookie but hasn’t replicated that success over the past couple years. The hard-throwing righty has never had issues missing bats, striking out 34.1% of opponents on the strength of a huge 14.7% swinging strike rate over his big league career. James has struggled with control, though, walking an elevated 13.4% of batters faced. Between strike-throwing and health issues, he’s yet to cement himself as a consistent high-leverage reliever to this point, but he’s certainly flashed the upside to potentially do so moving forward.

In other Astros health news, star third baseman Alex Bregman was pulled from his rehab game with Sugar Land after experiencing some hamstring tightness last night, writes Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. The team called the early removal a precautionary measure, so it’s not clear whether it’ll have a substantial impact on the two-time All-Star’s return timetable. Bregman has been out since June 16 with a quad strain.

Astros Notes: Garza Jr., James, Bregman, Báez, Brantley

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The Astros have designated Ralph Garza Jr. for assignment, according to Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle. Rome speculates that this move is to facilitate the activation of Josh James. Before today’s game, general manager James Click told reporters, including Fox 26’s Mark Berman, that James was close to returning. James has shown flashes of excellent for the club over the past few years, especially his 2018 debut, wherein he threw 23 innings with an ERA of 2.35. But since that time, he’s struggled with both inconsistency and injuries, most notably undergoing hip surgery in October of 2020. The Astros made some additions to their bullpen before Friday’s trade deadline, bringing in Kendall Graveman, Yimi Garcia, Rafael Montero and Phil Maton. Getting James back into the fold could further bolster the relief corps as the team gears up for a pennant race. The club is currently atop the AL West, 5 1/2 games ahead of the Athletics.

As for Garza, he made his major league debut earlier this year and has thrown 11 innings out of Houston’s bullpen, with an ERA of 4.09 and a solid strikeout rate of 28.6%, but a poor walk rate of 14.3%. Although those numbers aren’t excellent, Garza is 27 years old and can be optioned to the minors, meaning he could be of interest to a club that just created some vacancies at the deadline.

More from Houston…

  •  As noted in Mark Berman’s tweet above, Click is hoping that Alex Bregman and Pedro Báez could return by “this homestand, but we’re still assessing.” The Astros are currently on the road, meaning that Click was likely referring to the upcoming homestand from August 5th to 11th. Báez had been a mainstay of the Dodgers’ bullpen until reaching free agency after the 2020 season and signing with Houston. But he’s yet to make his debut for the Astros, largely because of a shoulder injury. Getting him healthy would be helpful for the bullpen, but nowhere near as impactful as the return of Bregman. The third baseman has been one of the best players in baseball in recent years but has missed more than a month with a quad injury. Before being placed on the IL, Bregman had a wRC+ of 120, which is actually his lowest mark since his 2016 debut.
  • Michael Brantley left today’s game with “right ankle discomfort”, according to Rome. The 34-year-old outfielder is having an excellent season at the plate, hitting .330/.384/.477, for a wRC+ of 143, which would be the second-best of his career, after putting up a wRC+ of 151 in 2014.  After the game, manager Dusty Baker said x-rays were negative and that he didn’t expect Brantley to hit the IL.

AL Notes: Rogers, Bregman, Athletics, Kluber

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Unsurprisingly, Twins southpaw Taylor Rogers “is very popular on the trade market,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets.  There is enough interest that the reliever has a “good chance to be dealt” even though Minnesota is reportedly reluctant to move players who are under team control beyond this season.  Rogers has one more arbitration year remaining before free agency in the 2022-23 offseason.

Rogers has somewhat quietly been one of baseball’s most effective relievers since just about the moment of his MLB debut in 2016, as the left-hander has a 3.15 ERA, 27.9% strikeout rate, and a 22% K-BB rate over 314 2/3 career innings out of Minnesota’s bullpen.  He has kept up that form in 2021, with a 3.35 ERA and a whopping 35.5% strikeout rate that ranks 11th among all hurlers with at least 40 innings pitched this season.  This is the type of high-level performance that could be the difference-maker in a pennant race, so while the Twins undoubtedly have a huge asking price for Rogers, another team could be willing to take the plunge to upgrade its bullpen for both the rest of this season and into 2022.

More from around the American League…

  • Alex Bregman will start a Triple-A rehab assignment within the next few days, the Astros star told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters.  A left quad strain sent Bregman to the 10-day injured list on June 17, and though there was initial uncertainty around exactly how long Bregman might be out, the Astros’ series against the Twins on August 5-8 seems to look like the target date.  At the time of his injury, Bregman was hitting .275/.359/.428 with seven home runs over 262 plate appearances.
  • Before the Rays traded for Nelson Cruz, the Athletics gave some consideration to acquiring the slugger themselves, Shayna Rubin of the Bay Area News Group writes.  The A’s seemingly didn’t get close to a move, however, due to both the financial and prospect cost attached to Cruz, and Rubin wonders if payroll concerns in particular will keep the Athletics from making any particularly big deadline splashes.  While spending is always an issue for the club, money could be tighter than ever now that the A’s no longer receive revenue-sharing money — as per the last collective bargaining agreement, the Athletics were gradually phased out of the league’s revenue-sharing plan over a multi-year period.  That said, Billy Beane and company have been adept at finding lower-cost help at past deadlines, such Oakland’s trade for Tommy La Stella last year.
  • Corey Kluber threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Friday, and the Yankees veteran told reporters (including ESPN’s Marly Rivera) that he is “very confident” that he’ll be able to return in 2021.  Kluber was initially targeted for a late-July return at the time of his IL placement for a shoulder strain, though Yankees GM Brian Cashman later threw some doubt into Kluber’s exact timeline, saying that the right-hander might not be back until September.  While Kluber certainly doesn’t look immediately close to an activation just yet, his mound work does represent progress, even if he described his 25 pitches as “easy fastballs…nothing like I would do in a regular bullpen session.”

Baker: Astros Don’t Expect Bregman Back For At Least A Month

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The Astros have been rather vague with their timeline for Alex Bregman’s return from the injured list, but manager Dusty Baker said in an appearance on Sports Talk 790 today that he doesn’t expect Bregman back for at least another month (Twitter link).

Injury updates on Bregman have been handled somewhat clumsily from the beginning. The third baseman himself initially said there was no timetable, which isn’t particularly surprising, but he also added at the time of the injury that he wasn’t sure whether he was dealing with a Grade 1 or Grade 2 strain of his hamstring. Last week, Baker told reporters that the expectation was for Bregman to be out “two to three works or more,” and while today’s statement doesn’t technically invalidate that tentative timeline, it certainly paints a more pessimistic outlook with regard to Bregman’s return.

The first-place Astros have a 1.5-game lead over the second-place Athletics, so the absence of one of their best all-around players is a particularly notable blow. The 27-year-old Bregman is enjoying another strong year at the plate, hitting .275/.359/.428 with seven homers and 14 doubles through 262 plate appearances. That’s in line with last year’s production, but his bat has fallen off since 2019’s ridiculous .296/.423/.592, 41-homer showing that earned him a second-place finish in AL MVP voting.

With Bregman sidelined, the Astros have turned to young Abraham Toro to handle the bulk of the work at the hot corner. The 24-year-old Toro has ranked as one of Houston’s better prospects for the past few years, and after a rough showing at the plate early in the season, he’s returned from Triple-A with a .294/.385/.471 in 39 plate appearances. That follows up on a massive .352/.485/.593 performance in 68 Triple-A plate appearances.

Health Notes: Bregman, Belt, Seager, Knebel, d’Arnaud

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The Astros placed star third baseman Alex Bregman on the injured list due to a left quad strain last week, although the timeline for his potential return was undefined. Manager Dusty Baker offered a little more clarity today, telling reporters (including Mark Berman of FOX 26) Bregman would be out for “two to three weeks or more.” With the All-Star break about three weeks away, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Bregman doesn’t return until the season’s unofficial second half begins July 16. The Astros have primarily relied on Abraham Toro in recent days, winning all seven of their games since Bregman went down.

In other health situations around the league:

  • Giants first baseman Brandon Belt left this afternoon’s game against the Angels after stumbling while running the bases. He has an undisclosed right knee injury and will go for an MRI, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). Belt has quietly been fantastic this season, hitting .253/.365/.518 with 11 home runs across 197 plate appearances. If he winds up requiring an injured list stint, it’d be a tough blow to a Giants club that currently holds a 3.5 game lead in the National League West.
  • Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided updates on a pair of injured players in a session with reporters (including Juan Toribio of MLB.com and Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). Shortstop Corey Seager, who has been out since May 15 with a fractured right hand, is still feeling some soreness that’s delaying his embarking on a potential rehab assignment. Seager’s injury called for him to miss at least a month, but it seems his progression is going a little slower than the team had initially hoped. Meanwhile, reliever Corey Knebel, who went down with a right lat strain in late April, is targeting a return to the big league club by the end of August.
  • Braves manager Brian Sntiker told reporters (including David O’Brien of the Athletic) that catcher Travis d’Arnaud is “right on track” in his recovery from a torn ligament in his right thumb. The team hopes he’ll make his return at some point in August. With d’Arnaud out, Atlanta has primarily turned to rookie William Contreras behind the dish. The 23-year-old has held his own, hitting .227/.306/.437 in 134 plate appearances.

AL Injury Notes: Bregman, Ramirez, Duffy, Goodrum

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A left quad strain sent Alex Bregman to the 10-day injured list on Thursday, but the Astros star isn’t yet sure exactly when he’ll be back on the field.  “Honestly there’s no timetable really….It’s unfortunate,” Bregman told reporters, including Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle.  “I’m just going to trust the rehab process.  I don’t really know.  It’s going to be based on how I progress and how I feel.  But there’s no real timetable yet.”

There still seems to be some uncertainty about the severity of Bregman’s injury, as he said that he didn’t know if it was a Grade 1 or Grade 2 strain.  Manager Dusty Baker has said that Bregman will be out of action “for a while,” which would seem to indicate that the third baseman will miss well beyond the 10-day minimum.  On the plus side for Houston, the team has just kept on winning even without Bregman, as the Astros have rolled a six-game win streak to move within a game of the Athletics for the AL West lead.

More on other injury situations from around the American League…

  • Jose Ramirez left Friday’s game with a left foot contusion after being hit by a pitch, and he wasn’t in the Indians’ lineup on Saturday.  Speaking to The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes and other reporters, manager Terry Francona said that Ramirez “was a little more sore, I think, than maybe he anticipated and maybe we did” when he woke up on Saturday morning.  “He got hit right on that arch.  He’s doing OK.  He’s gonna be fine.”  The Tribe are 38-30 this season despite an overall lack of offense, but their chances of remaining in contention would take a big hit if their top hitter had to miss any time.  Ramirez is having another impressive season, batting .270/.354/.539 with 16 home runs over his first 277 plate appearances.
  • Danny Duffy “felt really good” in the aftermath of a 40-pitch bullpen session on Friday, indicating that the Royals southpaw could be nearing a return from the flexor strain that sent him to the injured list back on May 17.  As Duffy told Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star, the initial tightness he felt in his forearm is now “gone, everything’s gone.  It’s one of those things, modern medicine is a miracle.  We’ve got the right people who get their hands on us in the training room….On the MRI, they said my ligament is completely intact, so we’re good.  I’m not nervous about it at all. I’m ready to go.”  No plans have yet been made about any possible rehab assignment, though manager Mike Matheny indicated that Duffy could return sometime during the Royals’ upcoming 10-game road trip from June 22-July 1.  Duffy was off to a great start prior to his injury, posting a 1.94 ERA and above-average strikeout (28.2%) and walk (7.1%) rates over 41 2/3 innings.
  • The Tigers placed Niko Goodrum on the 10-day injured list yesterday due to a tendon injury in his left finger.  Goodrum suffered the injury while diving for a ball on Friday.  Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News) that Goodrum is “seeing some doctors and they are sending films to some hand doctors around the country.  But essentially, he’s got an issue with the tip of his left index finger.  No surgery is required, but we have to get the swelling out of his entire hand.”  Goodrum has played mostly shortstop over the last two seasons but he has been a valuable utility piece for Detroit, playing all over the field during his four seasons with the Tigers.  While Goodrum was a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop in 2020, his defensive metrics have been subpar this year, and he has struggled at the plate for the second consecutive year — Goodrum has hit .202/.281/.332 in 398 PA since the start of the 2020 campaign.  Willi Castro, Harold Castro, and call-up Isaac Paredes will all see time at shortstop while Goodrum is sidelined, Hinch said.

Astros Place Alex Bregman On 10-Day IL With Quad Injury

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TODAY: Bregman has been officially placed on the injured list, Dusty Baker told Mark Berman and other reporters.  Outfielder/catcher Garrett Stubbs has been called up to take Bregman’s spot on the active roster.

JUNE 16, 10:29pm: A more specific timeline for Bregman’s return will become clearer tomorrow, but it seems he’s looking at an injured list stint. Manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including Berman) the expectation is Bregman will be out “for a while.”

7:53pm: Bregman departed due to a left quad strain, relays Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle.

7:37pm: Astros star Alex Bregman left this evening’s game against the Rangers in the first inning. Bregman appeared to suffer a lower body injury while trying to beat out a ground ball (video provided by Mark Berman of Fox 26). Robel García replaced him at third base.

Bregman is amidst another very strong season, albeit not at his 2018-19 MVP-caliber level. The 27-year-old is hitting .275/.359/.428 (121 wRC+) with seven homers over his first 262 plate appearances. At 38-28, Houston sits three games back of the Athletics in the AL West, so a significant injury to Bregman would be a devastating blow. Of course, there’s no indication at this point he’s facing any sort of long-term absence.

If Bregman were to miss time, García and Abraham Toro would seem the likeliest options to pick up the slack at the hot corner. Primary utilityman Aledmys Díaz is out until at least late July due to a hand fracture.

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