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Garrett Stubbs

Phillies Notes: Strahm, Suarez, Plassmeyer

By Steve Adams | March 17, 2023 at 11:33am CDT

The Phillies are stretching lefty Matt Strahm out to handle a multi-inning relief option, tweets Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Manager Rob Thomson said this week that the organization’s goal is for Strahm to be built up to the point that he can handle three-inning stints by the end of camp, Lauber notes. He’s slated to start one of the Phillies’ split-squad games today.

Stretching Strahm out is of particular note given the lefty’s previous work as a starter, his five-pitch repertoire, and his previously vocal stance about wanting to return to that role at some point in his career. As The Athletic’s Matt Gelb further writes, Strahm is open to any and all roles with the Phils this season.

Strahm’s career 3.11 ERA as a reliever trounces his shaky 5.08 mark as a starter, though that’s come in a sample of just 25 starts spread across four seasons. Whether he emerges as a legitimate rotation option for the Phillies at some point over the course of his current two-year, $15MM deal will likely depend greatly on the health of the team’s other options. With that in mind, it’s notable that the move to stretch Strahm out comes in conjunction with Andrew Painter’s month-long shutdown due to a UCL sprain and Ranger Suarez’s delay due to forearm tightness.

Thomson told reporters yesterday that Suarez is back on a throwing program and feeling good (Twitter link via Gelb), but he won’t be fully built up by the time the season gets underway. The Phils aren’t planning to place Suarez on the injured list to begin the season, however. As such, it seems likely his per-start workload would be capped for at least his first few turns through the rotation. Having Strahm stretched out to three or more innings would allow the Phillies to piggyback the two if they choose to go that route, and there’s obvious benefit in having Strahm stretched out in the event that the Philadelphia rotation sustains an injury of note.

For now, the likely plan in the event of another injury in the rotation would be to give 26-year-old southpaw Michael Plassmeyer a chance, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia writes. The 2018 fourth-rounder, acquired in the trade that sent catcher Austin Wynns to the Giants, made his MLB debut with the Phils last season (three runs in 7 1/3 innings) and posted a 2.41 ERA in 16 starts with their Triple-A affiliate following that swap. Plassmeyer has tossed seven scoreless frames this spring, though he’s issued six walks and punched out just four hitters in that time.

As it stands, the Phillies still project to have one of the NL’s stronger rotations. Each of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Taijuan Walker and Bailey Falter have been healthy this spring, and it seems the forearm tightness that sent Suarez home from the World Baseball Classic has proven to be minor in nature.

Beyond Strahm and Plassmeyer, top prospects Mick Abel and Griff McGarry will open the season in the upper minors, but both have limited innings above A-ball to this point in their young career (23 for Abel, 40 2/3 for McGarry). Lefty Cristopher Sanchez and righty Nick Nelson are both on the 40-man roster but were both shut down earlier this week due to triceps and hamstring injuries, respectively. The Phils did receive one positive injury update yesterday, as backup catcher Garrett Stubbs told Lauber and others that he’s dealing with only a minor knee sprain and expects to be ready for Opening Day.

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Notes Philadelphia Phillies Garrett Stubbs Matt Strahm Michael Plassmeyer Ranger Suarez

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Phillies Dealing With Injuries To Pitching And Catching Depth

By Darragh McDonald | March 15, 2023 at 7:40pm CDT

The Phillies announced a batch of injuries to reporters, including Matt Gelb of The Athletic (Twitter links). Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez and right-hander Nick Nelson have both been shut down, due to triceps soreness and a moderate hamstring injury, respectively. Catcher Garrett Stubbs is headed for an MRI on his sore right knee while fellow backstop Rafael Marchán hasn’t played in eight days and can’t currently hit due to a bruised right hamate.

Sánchez, 26, has made just 22 major league appearances thus far in his career, but he notched a strong 3.14 ERA in Triple-A last year. He struck out 24.4% of batters faced at that level, walked just 8.4% and got grounders at a very strong 62% clip.

As of a few weeks ago, he wasn’t expected to be a key piece of the club’s rotation, but some recent developments have thinned out the club’s depth in that department. Andrew Painter has been shut down with a UCL sprain while Ranger Suárez has been dealing with some forearm tightness. Painter will be shut down for four weeks, taking him out of consideration for the Opening Day rotation. Suárez, meanwhile, has been throwing but it’s still unclear if he’ll be ready for the start of the season. Gelb also relays that the club is encouraged by his progress but his overall timelines are still murky.

The club should still have a strong front of their rotation, with Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Taijuan Walker taking three spots. Bailey Falter previously seemed like he would have to compete with Painter for a spot but that’s no longer the case, likely pushing him into the mix. The fifth spot could go to Suárez if he’s healthy enough to take it. If not, Sánchez would have been in the mix to jump in there but that’s probably not on the table any longer. The club hasn’t provided a timeline on his expected absence but the fact that he has been shut down from throwing with just two weeks until Opening Day isn’t encouraging.

If none of Painter, Suárez or Sánchez are available, the Phils have Michael Plassmeyer and James McArthur on their 40-man roster. Arthur has yet to reach Triple-A and only made 13 Double-A starts last year due to injury. Plassmeyer has two big league appearances and tossed 128 1/3 Triple-A innings last year with a 4.21 ERA.

In the case of Nelson, he was going to be in the mix for a job in the club’s bullpen. He tossed 68 2/3 innings for the club last year with a 4.85 ERA, 22.5% strikeout rate, 11.8% walk rate and 39.8% ground ball rate. It doesn’t seem as though his injury is too severe, though he’s been shut down for the moment. As a reliever, he’ll have an easier time getting back into game shape than a starter like Sánchez.

In terms of the catching situation, those two ailments are noteworthy for the club since they have just three backstops on their 40-man roster. J.T. Realmuto has a lock on the starting job but the Phils will need a backup. Stubbs and Marchan would be the likely candidates for such a job, since they are the other two on the roster, but they are both question marks now due to these setbacks.

Stubbs, 30 in May, was acquired from the Astros prior to the 2022 campaign and ended up having a nice season as Realmuto’s backup. He got into 50 games and hit .264/.350/.462 for a wRC+ of 128. He was recently participating in the World Baseball Classic for Team Israel but departed when this knee issue popped up. Marchan, 24, only has 23 games of big league experience and was likely ticketed for more time in the minors behind Realmuto and Stubbs.

At this point, the path forward for both players is still unclear but there are concerns in both cases. Stubbs’ injury is significant enough to require an MRI while Marchan has already been out of action for over a week. Even if he suddenly heals up, he’ll need some time to get back into game shape. If the Phils eventually need someone else to step up and take on the backup job, they have a few catchers in camp as non-roster invitees, including Aramis Garcia and John Hicks.

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Philadelphia Phillies Cristopher Sanchez Garrett Stubbs Nick Nelson Rafael Marchan Ranger Suarez

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Each MLB Team’s Players On WBC Rosters

By Darragh McDonald | February 9, 2023 at 7:30pm CDT

The World Baseball Classic is returning this year, the first time since 2017. The quadrennial event was supposed to take place in 2021 but was scuttled by the pandemic, now returning after a six-year absence. Rosters for the tournament were announced today and those can be found at this link. Here is a breakdown of which players from each MLB team are set to take participate. Quick caveat that this list is fluid and might be changed as more information becomes available.

Without further ado…

Angels

  • Glenn Albanese Jr.
  • Jaime Barria
  • Gustavo Campero
  • Alan Carter
  • Jhonathan Diaz
  • Carlos Estevez
  • David Fletcher
  • Jake Kalish
  • D’Shawn Knowles
  • Shohei Ohtani
  • Jose Quijada
  • Luis Rengifo
  • Gerardo Reyes
  • Patrick Sandoval
  • Mike Trout
  • Gio Urshela
  • Cesar Valdez
  • Zack Weiss
  • Aaron Whitefield

Astros

  • Bryan Abreu
  • Jose Altuve
  • Ronel Blanco
  • Luis Garcia
  • Colton Gordon
  • Cristian Javier
  • Martin Maldonado
  • Rafael Montero
  • Hector Neris
  • Jeremy Pena
  • Ryan Pressly
  • Andre Scrubb
  • Kyle Tucker
  • Jose Urquidy
  • Derek West

Athletics

  • Denzel Clarke
  • Jordan Diaz
  • Jake Fishman
  • Zack Gelof
  • James Gonzalez
  • Adrian Martinez
  • Joshwan Wright

Blue Jays

  • Jose Berrios
  • Jiorgeny Casimiri
  • Yimi Garcia
  • Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
  • Spencer Horwitz
  • Alejandro Kirk
  • Otto Lopez
  • Damiano Palmegiani

Braves

  • Ronald Acuna Jr.
  • Luis De Avila
  • Roel Ramirez
  • Alan Rangel
  • Eddie Rosario
  • Chadwick Tromp

Brewers

  • Willy Adames
  • Sal Frelick
  • Alex Hall
  • Matt Hardy
  • Joel Payamps
  • Rowdy Tellez
  • Abraham Toro
  • Luis Urias
  • Michele Vassalotti
  • Devin Williams

Cardinals

  • Nolan Arenado
  • Genesis Cabrera
  • Tommy Edman
  • Giovanny Gallegos
  • Paul Goldschmidt
  • Ivan Herrera
  • Matt Koperniak
  • Noah Mendlinger
  • Oscar Mercado
  • Miles Mikolas
  • Lars Nootbaar
  • Tyler O’Neill
  • JoJo Romero
  • Adam Wainwright
  • Guillermo Zuniga

Cubs

  • Javier Assad
  • Owen Caissie
  • Danis Correa
  • Ben DeLuzio
  • Roenis Elias
  • Miles Mastrobuoni
  • Matt Mervis
  • B.J. Murray Jr.
  • Vinny Nittoli
  • Fabian Pertuz
  • Liam Spence
  • Seiya Suzuki
  • Marcus Stroman
  • Pedro Strop
  • Nelson Velazquez
  • Jared Young

Diamondbacks

  • Dominic Fletcher
  • Jakob Goldfarb
  • Gunnar Groen
  • Merrill Kelly
  • Ketel Marte
  • Eric Mendez
  • Dominic Miroglio
  • Emmanuel Rivera
  • Jacob Steinmetz
  • Mitchell Stumpo
  • Alek Thomas

Dodgers

  • Austin Barnes
  • Mookie Betts
  • Freddie Freeman
  • Clayton Kershaw
  • Adam Kolarek
  • Miguel Rojas
  • Will Smith
  • Trayce Thompson
  • Julio Urias

Giants

  • Jonathan Bermudez
  • Camilo Doval
  • Joey Marciano
  • Joc Pederson

Guardians

  • Enyel De Los Santos
  • Dayan Frias
  • Andres Gimenez
  • Bo Naylor
  • Richie Palacios
  • Cal Quantrill
  • Cade Smith
  • Meibrys Viloria
  • Josh Wolf

Marlins

  • Sandy Alcantara
  • Luis Arraez
  • Johnny Cueto
  • Jesus Luzardo
  • Anthony Maldonado
  • Jean Segura

Mariners

  • Matt Brash
  • Diego Castillo
  • Matt Festa
  • Harry Ford
  • Teoscar Hernandez
  • Milkar Perez
  • Julio Rodriguez
  • Eugenio Suarez
  • Blake Townsend

Mets

  • Pete Alonso
  • Jonathan Arauz
  • Edwin Diaz
  • Eduardo Escobar
  • Dominic Hamel
  • Elieser Hernandez
  • Francisco Lindor
  • Jeff McNeil
  • Omar Narvaez
  • Cam Opp
  • Adam Ottavino
  • Jose Quintana
  • Brooks Raley
  • Claudio Scotti

Nationals

  • Alberto Baldonado
  • Paolo Espino
  • Lucius Fox
  • Alberto Guerrero
  • Joey Meneses
  • Erasmo Ramirez

Orioles

  • Daniel Federman
  • Darwinzon Hernandez
  • Dean Kremer
  • Cedric Mullins
  • Anthony Santander
  • Rodney Theophile

Padres

  • Xander Bogaerts
  • Nabil Crismatt
  • Nelson Cruz
  • Jarryd Dale
  • Yu Darvish
  • Jose Espada
  • Ruben Galindo
  • Luis Garcia
  • Ha-Seong Kim
  • Manny Machado
  • Nick Martinez
  • Evan Mendoza
  • Juan Soto
  • Brett Sullivan
  • Julio Teheran

Phillies

  • Jose Alvarado
  • Erubiel Armenta
  • Malik Binns
  • Jaydenn Estanista
  • Vito Friscia
  • Brian Marconi
  • J.T. Realmuto
  • Kyle Schwarber
  • Noah Skirrow
  • Gregory Soto
  • Garrett Stubbs
  • Ranger Suarez
  • Trea Turner
  • Taijuan Walker
  • Rixon Wingrove

Pirates

  • David Bednar
  • Tsung-Che Cheng
  • Roansy Contreras
  • Alessandro Ercolani
  • Santiago Florez
  • Jarlin Garcia
  • Antwone Kelly
  • Josh Palacios
  • Jeffrey Passantino
  • Tahnaj Thomas
  • Duane Underwood Jr.
  • Chavez Young
  • Rob Zastryzny

Rangers

  • Mitch Bratt
  • Jose Leclerc
  • Martin Perez

Rays

  • Jason Adam
  • Jonathan Aranda
  • Randy Arozarena
  • Christian Bethancourt
  • Trevor Brigden
  • Wander Franco
  • Andrew Gross
  • Joe LaSorsa
  • Francisco Mejia
  • Isaac Paredes
  • Harold Ramirez
  • Graham Spraker

Red Sox

  • Jorge Alfaro
  • Richard Bleier
  • Rafael Devers
  • Jarren Duran
  • Ian Gibaut
  • Rio Gomez
  • Norwith Gudino
  • Enrique Hernandez
  • Nick Pivetta
  • Henry Ramos
  • Alex Verdugo
  • Masataka Yoshida

Reds

  • Donovan Benoit
  • Silvino Bracho
  • Luis Cessa
  • Fernando Cruz
  • Alexis Diaz
  • Arij Fransen
  • Kyle Glogoski
  • Tayron Guerrero
  • Evan Kravetz
  • Nicolo Pinazzi
  • Reiver Sanmartin
  • Vin Timpanelli

Rockies

  • Daniel Bard
  • Jake Bird
  • Yonathan Daza
  • Elias Diaz
  • Kyle Freeland
  • Justin Lawrence
  • German Marquez
  • Michael Petersen
  • Alan Trejo

Royals

  • Max Castillo
  • Robbie Glendinning
  • Carlos Hernandez
  • Nicky Lopez
  • MJ Melendez
  • Vinnie Pasquantino
  • Salvador Perez
  • Brady Singer
  • Bobby Witt Jr.
  • Angel Zerpa

Tigers

  • Javier Baez
  • Miguel Cabrera
  • Chavez Fernander
  • Andy Ibanez
  • Jack O’Loughlin
  • Jacob Robson
  • Eduardo Rodriguez
  • Jonathan Schoop
  • John Valente

Twins

  • Jose De Leon
  • Edouard Julien
  • Jorge Lopez
  • Pablo Lopez
  • Carlos Luna
  • Jose Miranda
  • Jovani Moran
  • Emilio Pagan
  • Christian Vazquez

White Sox

  • Tim Anderson
  • Kendall Graveman
  • Eloy Jimenez
  • Lance Lynn
  • Yoan Moncada
  • Nicholas Padilla
  • Luis Robert
  • Jose Ruiz

Yankees

  • Indigo Diaz
  • Kyle Higashioka
  • Jonathan Loaisiga
  • Gleyber Torres
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Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins New York Mets New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners St. Louis Cardinals Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals Aaron Whitefield Abraham Toro Adam Kolarek Adam Ottavino Adam Wainwright Adrian Martinez Alan Rangel Alan Trejo Alberto Baldonado Alejandro Kirk Alek Thomas Alex Hall Alex Verdugo Alexis Diaz Andre Scrubb Andres Gimenez Andy Ibanez Angel Zerpa Anthony Santander Austin Barnes Ben DeLuzio Bo Naylor Brady Singer Brett Sullivan Brooks Raley Bryan Abreu Cal Quantrill Camilo Doval Carlos Estevez Carlos Hernandez Cedric Mullins Cesar Valdez Chadwick Tromp Chavez Young Christian Bethancourt Christian Vazquez Clayton Kershaw Cristian Javier Daniel Bard Darwinzon Hernandez David Bednar David Fletcher Dean Kremer Devin Williams Diego Castillo Dominic Fletcher Duane Underwood Eddie Rosario Edouard Julien Eduardo Escobar Eduardo Rodriguez Edwin Diaz Elias Diaz Elieser Hernandez Eloy Jimenez Emilio Pagan Emmanuel Rivera Enrique Hernandez Enyel De Los Santos Erasmo Ramirez Eugenio Suarez Evan Mendoza Fernando Cruz Francisco Lindor Francisco Mejia Freddie Freeman Garrett Stubbs Genesis Cabrera Gerardo Reyes German Marquez Giovanny Gallegos Gleyber Torres Gregory Soto Guillermo Zuniga Harold Ramirez Harry Ford Hector Neris Henry Ramos Ian Gibaut Isaac Paredes Ivan Herrera J.T. Realmuto Jacob Robson Jaime Barria Jake Bird Jake Fishman Jared Young Jarlin Garcia Jarren Duran Jason Adam Javier Assad Javier Baez Jean Segura Jeff McNeil Jeremy Pena Jesus Luzardo Jhonathan Diaz Joc Pederson Joel Payamps Joey Meneses Johnny Cueto JoJo Romero Jonathan Aranda Jonathan Arauz Jonathan Bermudez Jonathan Loaisiga Jonathan Schoop Jordan Diaz Jorge Alfaro Jorge Lopez Jose Altuve Jose Alvarado Jose Berrios Jose De Leon Jose Leclerc Jose Miranda Jose Quijada Jose Quintana Jose Ruiz Jose Urquidy Josh Palacios Josh Wolf Jovani Moran Juan Soto Julio Rodriguez Julio Teheran Julio Urias Justin Lawrence Kendall Graveman Ketel Marte Kyle Freeland Kyle Higashioka Kyle Schwarber Kyle Tucker Lance Lynn Lucius Fox Luis Arraez Luis Cessa Luis Garcia Luis Rengifo Luis Robert Luis Urias Manny Machado Marcus Stroman Martin Maldonado Martin Perez Masataka Yoshida Matt Brash Matt Festa Matt Mervis Max Castillo Meibrys Viloria Merrill Kelly Miguel Cabrera Miguel Rojas Mike Trout Miles Mastrobuoni Miles Mikolas MJ Melendez Mookie Betts Nabil Crismatt Nelson Cruz Nelson Velazquez Nicholas Padilla Nick Martinez Nick Pivetta Nicky Lopez Nolan Arenado Omar Narvaez Oscar Hernandez Oscar Mercado Otto Lopez Owen Caissie Pablo Lopez Paolo Espino Patrick Sandoval Paul Goldschmidt Pedro Strop Pete Alonso Rafael Devers Rafael Montero Randy Arozarena Ranger Suarez Red Sox Reiver Sanmartin Richard Bleier Richie Palacios Roansy Contreras Rob Zastryzny Roel Ramirez Roenis Elias Ronald Acuna Ronel Blanco Rowdy Tellez Ryan Pressly Sal Frelick Salvador Perez Sandy Alcantara Seiya Suzuki Shohei Ohtani Silvino Bracho Spencer Horwitz Tahnaj Thomas Taijuan Walker Tayron Guerrero Teoscar Hernandez Tim Anderson Tommy Edman Trayce Thompson Trea Turner Vinnie Pasquantino Vinny Nittoli Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Wander Franco Will Smith Willy Adames Xander Bogaerts Yimi Garcia Yoan Moncada Yonathan Daza Yu Darvish Zack Weiss

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Astros Trade Garrett Stubbs To Phillies

By Steve Adams | November 19, 2021 at 6:56pm CDT

The Phillies announced Friday that they have acquired catcher Garrett Stubbs from the Astros in exchange for minor league outfielder Logan Cerny. Stubbs becomes the second backup catching option acquired by the Phils tonight, who also added minor league backstop Donny Sands in a trade with the Yankees.

Stubbs, 28, has spent parts of three seasons in the Majors with the ’Stros, hitting at a combined .182/.238/.247 clip — albeit through a tiny sample of 87 plate appearances. It’s obviously not an impressive line, but Stubbs has a far better track record in Triple-A, where he hit .265/.418/.363 this season and carries a career-long line of .272/.369/.404 in parts of four seasons.

The Phils obviously don’t have a need for a starting catcher, not with J.T. Realmuto entering the second season of a five-year contract, but Stubbs will join Sands as a backup option. The former eighth-rounder has a strong defensive reputation, having posted a massive 41% caught-stealing rate in his pro career and strong framing rates (via Baseball Prospectus) throughout his minor league tenure. Stubbs also has a minor league option remaining, giving the Phils some flexibility if they choose to acquire a more established backup option to Realmuto. That said, Stubbs seems plenty capable of filling a backup role — he just hasn’t had the opportunity in recent seasons with the Astros leaning heavily on Martin Maldonado and Jason Castro.

As was the case in the Phillies’ trade with the Yankees, they tapped into their recent draft class to add some depth options rather than dealing more experienced farmhands from a thin minor league system. It’s not a bad strategy in moderation, particularly given that all of the players acquired in today’s pair of deals — Stubbs, Sands and righty Nick Nelson — can both be immediate depth options and be controlled for several years.

Cerny, 22, obviously isn’t one of the Phils’ top prospects given his status as a recent 10th-round pick, but he turned in a .291/.377/.529 in three seasons at Troy University. He hit .200/.349/.286 in 43 pro plate appearances following the draft.

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Houston Astros Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Garrett Stubbs

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Jason Castro Tests Positive For COVID-19; Garrett Stubbs Added To World Series Roster

By Darragh McDonald | October 30, 2021 at 6:04pm CDT

Major League Baseball announced that it has approved a roster substitution for the Houston Astros, with Jason Castro being removed from the World Series roster due to COVID-19 protocols. Fellow catcher Garrett Stubbs will take his place. Astros’ general manager James Click didn’t answer a question about whether Castro tested positive, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. However, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports that Castro has indeed tested positive.

This news comes with just over an hour to go before Houston is set to take on Atlanta in the fourth game of the series. This shouldn’t affect tonight’s lineup as Martin Maldonado was penciled into the catcher’s slot when that was announced earlier today.

When Jorge Soler tested positive during the NLDS, he had to quarantine for at least five days and couldn’t return until cleared as non-infectious by a four-person joint health and safety committee, consisting of two doctors, and one representative each from the league and the players’ union. Assuming the same protocols are in place now, that means Castro’s season is done. The seventh game of the series is scheduled for November 3rd, which is just four days away.

Maldonado has seen the bulk of the playing time behind the plate this season, garnering 41 plate appearances so far to Castro’s nine. But Castro has made those nine appearances count, as he had a single, a homer and two walks. As for Stubbs, he only made 38 plate appearances at the big league level this year. But in Triple-A, he got 146 appearances and hit .265/.418/.363.

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Houston Astros Newsstand Transactions Coronavirus Garrett Stubbs Jason Castro

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Astros Place Jason Castro On IL, Recall Garrett Stubbs

By Darragh McDonald | August 29, 2021 at 11:47am CDT

The Astros have placed catcher Jason Castro on the injured list because of a knee injury, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Fellow catcher Garrett Stubbs has been recalled to take his place.

Signed to a two-year, $7MM deal in the offseason, Castro has been serving as the club’s backup catcher, behind Martin Maldonado. In 55 games and 152 plate appearances, Castro has a line of .190/.320/.333, numbers that aren’t too far from his career line of .228/.313/.387. He’s long been known as a defense-first catcher, with the limited offensive output being part of the deal. However, as he’s aged and accrued more injuries, his defensive contributions have started to sag.

As for Stubbs, he’s been pushing the third string catcher experience to the max, having been optioned six times already this season, but only getting into nine big-league games for 25 plate appearances. In 34 Triple-A games this year, the 28-year-old has a s0lid line of .280/.415/.383, for a wRC+ of 110.

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Houston Astros Garrett Stubbs Jason Castro

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Astros Designate Ryan Hartman For Assignment, Reinstate Brooks Raley

By TC Zencka | July 25, 2021 at 1:50pm CDT

The Astros have reinstated Brooks Raley from the COVID-related injured list. To create a spot on the active roster, catcher Garrett Stubbs was optioned to Triple-A. To make room on the 40-man roster, Ryan Hartman was designated for assignment, per The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan (via Twitter).

Hartman, 27, made one appearance, the first of his Major League career and perhaps his last with the Astros. He threw 2 1/3 innings on June 30th against the Orioles, allowing one earned run on three hits and no walks while striking out two.

Stubbs doesn’t have much of a role with Martin Maldonado and Jason Castro on the roster. He does have 25 plate appearances, hitting .182/.217/.227 while starting five games behind the dish.

Raley, 33, has just a 5.93 ERA in 30 1/3 innings, though his peripherals suggest a much stronger performance. The southpaw has a solid 30.1 percent strikeout rate, 6.8 percent walk rate, and 2.80 FIP.

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Houston Astros Transactions Brooks Raley Garrett Stubbs Ryan Hartman

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Astros Place Jose Urquidy On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | June 30, 2021 at 11:07pm CDT

11:07PM: Urquidy’s MRI revealed “the same results from the last time…some tightness with some inflammation,” the hurler told The Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome and other reporters.  This left Urquidy hopeful of another relatively short IL visit: “I think I’m going to be ready in not a long time.”

5:52PM: The Astros announced a set of roster moves today, including the placement of right-hander Jose Urquidy on the 10-day injured list due to right shoulder discomfort.  Left-hander Ryan Hartman’s contract was selected from Triple-A, with 40-man roster space cleared by a corresponding move of right-hander Francis Martes being designated for assignment.  In addition, Garrett Stubbs has been called up from Triple-A while catcher Martin Maldonado is going to the bereavement list.

The shoulder issue caused Urquidy to leave last night’s start after just 1 1/3 innings, leaving the Astros ill-prepared for an impromptu bullpen game, and the result was a 13-3 loss to the Orioles.  It was an unfortunate turn of events for Urquidy, who has quietly been one of baseball’s better pitchers over the last two months, with a 2.62 ERA over his nine starts and 55 innings prior to last night’s brief outing.

Urquidy missed two weeks in May due to a similar shoulder injury, though Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that this new bout of soreness was in a different area of Urquidy’s throwing shoulder.  Urquidy was scheduled to undergo an MRI today.

The Astros had been using a six-man rotation, so they might not need a replacement at all if they’re comfortable working their starters on regular rest.  If not, Cristian Javier was used as a starter earlier this season and could be stretched out again or perhaps used in a piggyback capacity with another pitcher.

Perhaps another alternative is Hartman, who has a 3.98 ERA, 28.8% strikeout rate, and 7.6% walk rate over nine starts and 40 2/3 innings at Triple-A Sugar Land this season.  A ninth-round pick for the Astros in the 2016 draft, Hartman posted some good numbers in his rise up Houston’s minor league ladder before struggling in his first exposure to Triple-A hitters in 2019.  The lefty has performed better this year at Triple-A, though his issues with the home run ball have persisted, as Hartman has allowed 35 homers in 156 1/3 total frames at Triple-A.

Martes had a 10.80 ERA over 8 1/3 innings at Sugar Land this season.  Martes was recently activated from the restricted list in the wake of his 162-game suspension for PED usage, issued in February 2020.  This was Martes’ second PED suspension, and he also underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2018.  Between the Astros’ minor league system and the Dominican Winter League, Martes has pitched only 21 2/3 innings since the start of the 2019 season.  Martes was a highly-regarded prospect before his injury and suspension issues, but it seems as if Houston is ready to move on from the 25-year-old.

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Houston Astros Transactions Francis Martes Garrett Stubbs Jose Urquidy Martin Maldonado Ryan Hartman

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

By Anthony Franco | June 17, 2021 at 3:19pm CDT

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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Houston Astros Newsstand Alex Bregman Garrett Stubbs

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COVID Notes: 3/30/21

By Mark Polishuk | March 30, 2021 at 1:41pm CDT

The latest on coronavirus-related situations around the sport…

  • The Astros announced that Myles Straw, Abraham Toro, and Garrett Stubbs have rejoined the team after clearing COVID-19 protocols.  (MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart was among those to report the news.)  The trio were absent for contract-tracing purposes in the wake of another positive test within Houston’s camp.
  • Matt Barnes’ positive COVID-19 test over the weekend was determined to be a false positive or a non-infectious positive, and the reliever has been cleared to return to Red Sox camp.  Barnes tested negative several times before being allowed to rejoin the team, and with only a few days of action missed, Barnes tells Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe and other reporters that he is ready for Opening Day.
  • Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter tested positive for COVID-19, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jason Beck) yesterday.  Other coaches are out of camp while contact tracing and further tests are administered, though it appears to be somewhat precautionary, as Hinch said that “no one else — player, staff — has been impacted or affected by this.”  The Tigers have yet to decide who will act as on the on-field pitching coach while Fetter is quarantined.  Fetter is entering his first season with the organization after previously working as the University of Michigan’s pitching coach.
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Boston Red Sox Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Notes Abraham Toro Chris Fetter Coronavirus Garrett Stubbs Matt Barnes Myles Straw

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