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Astros Notes: Extensions, Hader, Pressly, McCullers

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While the Astros prepare for the 2024 season, star infielders Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman are headed into the final years of their contracts, with free agency looming next winter. As relayed by The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, Houston GM Dana Brown recently made clear that the club has not had extension discussions with either player this winter. The same goes for outfielder Kyle Tucker, who Rome adds recently indicated that he and the club did not discuss a long-term extension before agreeing to a $12MM salary for the 2024 season to avoid arbitration earlier this month. This winter marked Tucker’s penultimate trip through arbitration, and he’ll be eligible for free agency following the 2025 season.

That the team has not yet broached possible extension talks with any of the aforementioned trio is something of a surprise. Houston has leaned heavily on extensions to keep its core together since the team first returned to contention back in 2015. Over the past six years, the Astos have handed out extensions to Altuve, Bregman, Ryan Pressly (in both 2019 and 2022), Justin Verlander, Yordan Alvarez, Cristian Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr. that extended the team’s window of control over each player.

With that being said, it’s worth noting that an unusually slow offseason has left the baseball world still in the thick of free agency, which could serve as a complicating factor in potential extension talks. Such discussions, particularly those for players like Altuve and Bregman who are not under control via arbitration, are often held once Spring Training begins. Last spring, Astros brass expressed a desire to work out deals with each of Altuve, Bregman, Tucker, Javier, and Framber Valdez, though the aforementioned Javier extension was the only one that ultimately got done. While it’s certainly possible that any of the trio could begin extension negotiations with the club after reporting to camp next month, each is a multi-time All Star coming off a strong season at the plate and could prove expensive to lock in long-term when free agency is just over the horizon.

More notes from Houston…

  • Now that the Astros have agreed to a five-year deal to bring star closer Josh Hader to Houston it seems as though Pressly, who has served as the club’s closer in each of the past four seasons, may be moving out of that role. Rome notes, however, that both Brown and manager Joe Espada discussed the situation with the 35-year-old veteran in the days leading up to their agreement with Hader. Each said that the conversation with Pressly went well, adding that he’s “all in” for his new role in the club’s bullpen as a premiere set-up option to Hader alongside youngster Bryan Abreu. Pressly posted a solid 3.58 ERA and 3.36 FIP while striking out 27.6% of batters faced last season, while Abreu dominated opposing hitters with a 34.8% strikeout rate and a 1.75 ERA in 72 appearances. Adding Hader to the mix figures to give Houston perhaps the most fearsome back-end trio in any bullpen around the league entering the 2024 campaign.
  • Rome also relayed an update on the status of McCullers, who underwent flexor tendon surgery back in June. McCullers has progressed to the point of throwing off flat ground from 80 feet away and noted that he’s feeling good, though when asked about his timetable for return suggested that a feasible timeline could involve him returning sometime during the late summer. With three years remaining on the contract extension the righty signed prior to the 2021 season, the deal hasn’t gone how either side was hoping to this point. While he’s pitched to a strong 3.16 ERA and 3.55 FIP with a 26.3% strikeout rate since the ink dried on the pact, he’s made just 47 starts across the past three seasons and appears ticketed for another season spent primarily on the shelf in 2024. Until McCullers returns to action, the club figures to rely on some combination of Jose Urquidy, Hunter Brown, and J.P. France to fill out the rotation alongside Verlander, Valdez, and Javier.

Astros Notes: Payroll, Rotation, Maldonado, Neris

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The Astros advanced to their seventh consecutive League Championship Series in 2023 but fell shy of a third straight World Series bid when the division-rival and eventual World Series Champion Rangers knocked them off in a thrilling seven-game series. They’ll head into the winter with a trio of notable relievers hitting free agency (Hector Neris, Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek) and with a rotation that’s a bit thinned out by to injuries of Lance McCullers Jr. (flexor tendon surgery) and Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery). Veteran Michael Brantley is also returning to the open market.

Despite a plethora of needs up and down the roster, general manager Dana Brown openly acknowledged at this week’s GM Meetings that his team doesn’t “have a ton” of financial flexibility heading into the offseason (link via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). That’s unwelcome news for ’Stros fans, though Brown suggested that if the right situation presented itself, owner Jim Crane might push beyond his current comfort levels.

As it stands, strong rookie performances from the likes of Hunter Brown and J.P. France give Houston a quality group of six starters on which to lean. Reacquired ace Justin Verlander, lefty Framber Valdez and righties Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy round out the rotation options.

Verlander will pitch next season at 41, however, while Valdez and Javier faltered a bit as the year wore on; Javier’s rotation spot was skipped a couple times over the summer as he labored through mixed results, while Valdez turned in a pedestrian 4.64 ERA over his final 99 innings before being rocked for 12 earned runs in 12 postseason frames. Urquidy spent several months on the injured list and turned in 73 innings of 5.30 ERA ball between the regular season and playoffs combined.

The depth beyond those six is more concerning. Righties Shawn Dubin and Brandon Bielak both had rough showings in Triple-A. The latter tossed 80 innings of 3.83 ball in the big leagues but did so with a 10.2% walk rate, 17.6% strikeout rate and too many home runs allowed (1.35 HR/9) to necessarily bank on a repeat. Former top prospect Forrest Whitley, also on the 40-man roster, posted a 5.70 ERA in 30 Triple-A frames.

Brown indicated to reporters that he’d be open to opportunities to add “a legit third starter or better.” Logically speaking, doing so without radically increasing the payroll would likely require operating on the trade market rather than in free agency. It sounds as though that’s viewed more as a luxury than a priority anyhow; McCullers and Garcia are expected back sometime in July, and Brown instead called the bullpen and backup catcher “priorities.”

To that end, it’s perhaps not surprising to hear that the ’Stros and longtime catcher Martin Maldonado could continue their relationship. Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports that the two parties have mutual interest in a reunion, adding that Brown has already met with Maldonado’s agent, Dan Lozano, during this week’s GM Meetings. The Astros have publicly declared that Yainer Diaz will be their primary catcher in 2024, but as Brown himself spelled out, adding an experienced backup is a goal.

Houston has stuck with Maldonado for four and a half years despite the fact that he’s perhaps been MLB’s least-productive hitter during that time. Over the past three seasons in particular, Maldonado has been a liability at the dish. In 1212 plate appearances since 2021, he’s turned in a .183/.260/.333 — about 34% worse than league average by measure of wRC+. However, the Astros are enamored of Maldonado’s game-calling, game-planning and broad defensive skills. Maldonado ranks among the game’s best at blocking pitches in the dirt over the past four years, although his framing skills fell off a cliff in 2023 and his caught-stealing rate has steadily declined.

Houston clearly loves Maldonado’s work with their pitching staff, however, and the organization would surely welcome him working in a mentor role to Diaz, whom they hope can cement himself as the catcher of the future. Add in that a new deal with Maldonado in a reduced role would undoubtedly be a low-cost arrangement, and it wouldn’t at all be surprising to see them hammer something out. Maldonado earned $5MM in 2022 and $4.5MM last year.

Maldonado isn’t the only former Astro who’s on the radar. Via Rome, Brown acknowledged that he’s also spoken with Neris’ representatives at Octagon about a new deal, though there’s no indication a new deal is close to fruition. Neris turned down an $8.5MM player option and although he’s 34 years old will quite likely be able to secure a multi-year pact on the open market this winter after turning in a sub-2.00 ERA in his second season with Houston.

Turning to a pair of Astros icons, both Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman are entering the final year of their contracts. Brown has been forthcoming about his desire to make the pair lifelong Astros, but agent Scott Boras — who represents both players — said at this week’s meetings that contract talks have not yet begun (link via Kawahara).

Astros fans will want to check out the pieces from both Kawahara and Rome in full, as they’re rife with refreshingly straightforward answers from Brown — the type of candor that many of his peers throughout the league generally shy away from offering. Beyond acknowledging priorities in the bullpen and behind the plate as well as interest in bolstering the rotation, Brown suggested that outfield won’t be a primary focus this offseason, given the presence of Kyle Tucker, Chas McCormick, Yordan Alvarez, Mauricio Dubon and Jake Meyers. That doesn’t expressly rule out an addition — unexpected opportunities on the trade market, for instance, could always arise — but it doesn’t seem that’s a hot-button issue for the Astros at the moment.

Astros Hoping To Sign Jose Altuve To New Extension

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With Jose Altuve again starring in a deep Astros postseason run, it isn’t any surprise that the club wants to retain its longtime star.  USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that Houston wants to keep Altuve in the fold for the rest of his career, and the time for negotiating is nearing, as 2024 is the final year of the second baseman’s current contract.

“The Astros privately say their focus is squarely on Altuve,” Nightengale writes, which is perhaps notable simply because Altuve isn’t the only prominent Houston player approaching the end of his deal.  Alex Bregman will also be a free agent after the 2024 season, and Ryan Pressly might also hit the open market since he and the Astros share a $14MM mutual option for 2025 (though this option vests if Pressly makes at least 50 appearances in 2024).  Justin Verlander could also be a free agent if he doesn’t pitch at least 140 innings next season, but if he does hit that threshold, he’ll gain a $35MM player option for 2025 that he might well choose to exercise for what would be his age-42 season.

Of course, nothing is stopping the Astros from also exploring extensions with any of these other players.  However, it could be that Altuve is seen as a particular priority given his status as a franchise icon.  The story of Altuve’s rise from obscure international prospect to cornerstone player has been well-documented, and there isn’t much indication that Altuve is slowing down in his age-33 season.  Though he was limited to 90 games in 2023 due to a broken thumb and an oblique strain, Altuve still hit .311/.393/.522 over 410 plate appearances during the regular season, and he has a .970 OPS over 24 PA in the first five games of the ALCS.

Altuve’s current deal overwrote the last two years of his previous extension with the Astros, and guaranteed him $151MM over the course of the 2020-24 seasons.  Another five-year extension that began with the 2025 season would therefore run through Altuve’s age-39 season, and quite possibly the end of his career.

Estimating a dollar figure for a hypothetical Altuve extension is an interesting exercise, considering that Altuve is represented by the Boras Corporation (who also handled the second baseman’s previous deal).  The majority of Scott Boras clients generally head to free agency to let the open market determine their earnings, and Altuve’s performance certainly would seem to still merit a hefty salary even through his mid-to-late 30’s.  That said, it also seems plausible that Altuve might at least consider some level of hometown discount, thus freeing some more money for the Astros to keep the core together.  Besides Bregman, Pressly, and Verlander, there is also the trio of Framber Valdez, Kyle Tucker, and Jose Urquidy all nearing free agency once their arbitration eligibility is up following the 2025 campaign.

The Astros have surpassed the luxury tax threshold only once (in 2020) in franchise history, as Houston has been able to sustain its run of success while keeping their payroll in relative check.  While frequently landing within the top 10 of Opening Day payrolls, Houston ranked only 14th in spending at the start of this season.  The Astros have been willing to let some stars walk, such as Carlos Correa after the 2021 season or Verlander last winter (before Verlander was re-acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline).

Other extensions have also played a role in the Astros’ budget management, as the team was proactive in locking up some young stars relatively early in their careers.  Bregman was signed to a five-year/$100MM extension, Yordan Alvarez to a six-year/$118MM extension, and Cristian Javier to a five-year/$64MM long-term pact.  Alvarez, Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr. are the only Astros players on the books beyond the 2025 season.

Astros Activate Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve

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The Astros announced Wednesday that outfielder/DH Yordan Alvarez and second baseman Jose Altuve have been reinstated from the injured list. First baseman/outfielder Bligh Madris and infielder David Hensley were optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding pair of moves.

Alvarez, who just turned 26 last month, has cemented himself as one of the sport’s best young hitters in recent seasons. He boasts a .277/.388/.589 slash and 17 homers in just 232 plate appearances this season but has missed more than six weeks due to an oblique strain.

The Astros have posted a solid .252/.323/.433 line as a team even since Alvarez’s injury, but it’s still difficult to overstate just how big a boost his return will provide. Houston general manager Dana Brown has been quite candid about his desire to add a left-handed bat prior to next week’s trade deadline, but Alvarez’s return will at least lessen some of the urgency for such an acquisition.

Altuve has also been on the shelf with an oblique strain, though his wasn’t as severe as the one sustained by Alvarez. He hit the IL nearly a month after his teammate, on July 4, but will nonetheless return on the same day — just three weeks after landing on the shelf.

It’s been an even more frustrating season for Altuve than for Alvarez, from a health standpoint. He missed nearly two months early in the season after suffering a broken thumb during the World Baseball Classic and has only managed to get into the lineup for 32 of the Astros’ games this year. He’s been characteristically excellent when on the field, batting .264/.371/.479 with a career-best 14% walk rate in 143 trips to the plate.

It’s a major pair of returns for Houston that’ll augment the lineup more than any trade might have, but the ’Stros still figure to be active between now and next Tuesday. In addition to Brown’s stated desire to add a left-handed bat with some defensive versatility, he’s also been open about his hopes to add a starting pitcher and a reliever while trades are still permitted.

Astros Seeking Bullpen Addition

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The Astros are in the market for relief pitching, general manager Dana Brown said this evening (relayed by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle and Chandler Rome of the Athletic). Brown also restated his desire for rotation help and a left-handed hitter, which the club have been seeking for a few weeks.

Houston’s bullpen has been customarily strong this season. They entered play Tuesday ranked fifth in the majors in ERA (3.69) and topping the league with a 27.5% strikeout rate. That production has been built around an excellent top four of Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, Phil Maton and Hector Neris. Houston has leaned hard on that quartet, as each has reached 45 appearances.

That’s a mark hit by only 22 pitchers thus far. Abreu leads MLB in appearances, while Maton is tied for second. Brown indicated they’d like another arm so they can ease off the workloads off their top four a bit down the stretch. Uncharacteristically middling performances from Ryne Stanek and Rafael Montero leave the relief depth a bit thinner than it has been in previous seasons, though it’s far from a glaring weakness.

Houston’s bullpen skews overwhelmingly right-handed. That could point toward a southpaw being ideal, but the Astros have been comfortable rolling with righty-heavy bullpens in recent seasons and been no worse for wear. Chris Stratton, Keynan Middleton, Reynaldo López and Kyle Finnegan are among the right-handed options who’d likely be available as middle relief targets. Brooks Raley, Brent Suter, Brad Hand and Sam Moll are among the left-handed trade candidates.

While the bullpen has been mostly healthy, Houston has taken injury hits in the lineup and starting staff. They’re getting healthier as the deadline approaches. Brown confirmed that both Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve were near game readiness and could be reinstated from the injured list before tomorrow’s contest against the Rangers, whom Houston trails by one game in the AL West. José Urquidy is a bit further off but could be back within a week to 10 days.

With Urquidy nearing a return, Brown indicated the Astros could be content acquiring an innings-eater towards the back of the starting staff. Houston’s front three of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier and Hunter Brown is a high-upside trio, although Hunter Brown has some innings concerns and Javier has scuffled lately. “We may not need that frontline starter and that’s going to require us to give away a lot of prospects,” Dana Brown told reporters. “Our top three are really good and so we can just add to that. And (J.P. France) has been outstanding. So we’ll take our three big horses and we put France in the mix and then we’ve got Urquidy back and then maybe just add somebody else that can give us some innings, that could be very sustainable.“

Astros Place Jose Altuve On Injured List

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4:00pm: Altuve tells Chandler Rome of The Athletic that his MRI showed good news, as the issue is more minor than he was expecting. He didn’t want to put a specific timeline on his return but said he’s hoping to be back shortly after the All-Star break, per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle.

2:35pm: The Astros announced Thursday that second baseman Jose Altuve has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to discomfort in his left oblique. The move is retroactive to July 4. Houston also optioned lefty Parker Mushinski to Triple-A Sugar Land and recalled infielder David Hensley and righty Ronel Blanco in a pair of corresponding moves. Blanco is slated to start tonight in the first of a four-game set against the division-rival Mariners.

Altuve has been out of the lineup the past couple of days after experiencing discomfort in that oblique during batting practice Tuesday. Manager Dusty Baker had already indicated that he’d be held out for a few more games, and the team will opt for a formal IL stint in order to operate with a full bench during an important series against a division rival that is within striking distance of Houston in the AL Wild Card chase. Altuve will now be out until at least next Friday, though the team hasn’t provided an expected timetable for his return. It’s possible he’ll be sidelined beyond that 10-day minimum, but it’s of at least some note that Houston didn’t list the injury as a “strain.”

It’s been a productive season for Altuve — when he’s been healthy enough to take the field, that is. This will be his second IL stint of the season, after he missed the first seven weeks of the 2023 season due to a broken thumb suffered during this year’s World Baseball Classic. Altuve, who just turned 33 a couple days ago, has posted a .264/.371/.479 batting line (138 wRC+) with six home runs, eight doubles, five steals, a 14% walk rate and a 17.5% walk rate in 143 plate appearances when healthy.

During Altuve’s prior absence, utilityman Mauricio Dubon stepped up and filled in more than capably. He’s been in a part-time role since that point but figures to pick up regular at-bats with Altuve sidelined a second time. In 284 plate appearances this season, the 28-year-old Dubon has posted a .292/.317/.417 slash with four homers, 18 doubles, two triples and five steals. He’s walked at just a 3.5% clip but has excelled at making contact, evidenced by a tiny 12% strikeout rate.

Injury Notes: Garrett, Altuve, Rosario, Rodriguez, Avisail

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The Royals placed Amir Garrett on the 15-day injured list yesterday, with a retroactive May 29 placement date.  The left-hander is suffering from a valgus extension overload in his throwing elbow, which manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (including MLB.com) is like a bone bruise.  Garrett will miss roughly 3-4 weeks in total, and will be shut down for the next 5-7 days before being re-examined.

Since Kansas City already seems out of the pennant race, that means Garrett should be able to return well before the trade deadline, and perhaps establish himself as a trade chip for a Royals team that is already open to moving relievers.  Garrett is a free agent this winter, making him even more of an obvious trade candidate as a rental player.  Beyond his current health issue, however, the biggest obstacle in the way of a Garrett deal is his garish 17.7% walk rate, the highest yet for a pitcher who has struggled with control over most of his seven MLB seasons.  While Garrett has only a 3.00 ERA over 21 innings and his strikeout (25%) and grounder (48.1%) rates are both respectable, the walk rate certainly stands out as a red flag for any interesting suitors.

More on other injury situations around baseball…

  • Jose Altuve didn’t play today and likely won’t play on Sunday, as Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle) that Altuve is dealing with a minor oblique problems.  The second baseman felt discomfort after a swing in Friday’s game, and while the injury isn’t deemed serious enough to merit an MRI, the Astros are naturally being careful with Altuve given how oblique problems can linger or become easily aggravated.  It’s a day-to-day situation for now, though Houston doesn’t have an off-day on the schedule until June 12.
  • The Guardians removed Amed Rosario from today’s game in the fourth inning due to left knee soreness.  Rosario is day-to-day for now, and since Cleveland has an off-day on Monday, it seems very likely that Rosario will be sat for Sunday’s game to give him two full days to rest and recover.  Rosario has struggled badly this season, hitting only .224/.270/.314 over 226 plate appearances, and he has the fourth-lowest fWAR (-0.7) of any qualified player in 2023.  Any of Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman, or Brayan Rocchio could get more playing time at shortstop if Rosario has to miss an extended amount of time.
  • Joely Rodriguez was warming up in preparation of entering tonight’s Rays/Red Sox game, but Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe) that Rodriguez had to halt his warmup due to soreness in his bicep and shoulder area.  More will be known once some tests are run, but it certainly looks like Rodriguez could be headed back to the IL.  An oblique injury in Spring Training already delayed Rodriguez’s season debut until May 17, and the left-hander has struggled to an 18.00 ERA over his four innings and five appearances.
  • The Marlins told reporters (including Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base) that Avisail Garcia’s rehab assignment has been temporarily halted, as he will receive examination on his sore back.  Garcia has already been on the IL since April 29 due to lower back tightness, so while the team described the setback as “minor,” it is a little worrisome to see Garcia further delayed.  The outfielder has played in four games with Triple-A Jacksonville during his rehab assignment.

Astros To Activate Jose Altuve

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The Astros announced Friday that All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve will be reinstated from the injured list prior to tonight’s series opener against the Athletics. Altuve has not yet played in a game during the regular season after suffering a broken thumb when he was hit by a pitch during the World Baseball Classic. While that fracture ultimately required surgery, Altuve was not placed on the 60-day injured list, meaning Houston won’t need to make a corresponding 40-man move to reinstate Altuve.

The original timetable on Altuve was a two-month recovery period from the surgery, plus some rehab work after that. General manager Dana Brown has said recently, however, that Altuve was ahead of schedule. He’ll indeed return just shy of two months after undergoing surgery on March 22 (and two months, to the day, since the injury itself occurred). He’s played in five minor league rehab games between Double-A and Triple-A, and although he’s gone just 2-for-22 in that time, he and the team clearly feel he’s in a good enough place to return to the big league lineup.

Altuve, 33, had a down year during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season but has since rebounded to elite levels of performance. Over the past two seasons, he’s batted a combined .288/.368/.510 with 59 home runs and 23 steals — including a sensational .300/.387/.533 output in 2022.

In place of Altuve, the Astros have primarily leaned on utilityman Mauricio Dubon, who has exceeded any and all expectations since taking the reins at second base. The former Red Sox/Brewers prospect and Giants utilityman, acquired from San Francisco in a trade for catcher Michael Papierski last May, has taken 156 turns at the plate and turned in a .309/.333/.389 batting line with ten doubles, a triple, three steals and above-average glovework in the field.

Altuve will take over the lion’s share of playing time at second base, but Dubon’s performance has surely been impressive enough that manager Dusty Baker will frequently work him into the lineup at other spots. In addition to his work at second base, Dubon has big league experience at shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions. He figures to spell Altuve and other Astros regulars while moving around the diamond going forward.

The return of Altuve should be a jolt for an Astros lineup that has been surprisingly been below-average. Houston ranks 25th in the Majors with 38 home runs and is tied for 16th with 191 runs scored. Astros hitters rank 16th in batting average (.244), 21st in on-base percentage (.312) and perhaps most surprisingly, 27th in slugging percentage (.377). They’ve received no production whatsoever out of Jose Abreu, who inked a three-year deal worth $58.5MM this winter, and they’ve yet to get a single game out of Michael Brantley, who’s spent the year on the injured list.

A healthy Altuve would certainly lift the Astros’ production across the board, though only time will tell how quickly he can bounce back from that thumb surgery. The eight-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger and three-time American League batting champion is in the penultimate season of a $151MM contract extension he signed prior to the 2018 season. He’s being paid $26MM in 2023 and is slated to earn the same salary in 2024 before becoming a free agent — although Brown has said on record multiple times that he hopes to eventually extend Altuve and keep in Houston for the entirety of his career.

AL Notes: Altuve, Rodon, Twins

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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.

Astros Notes: Brantley, McCormick, Altuve, Urquidy

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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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