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Luis Garcia (Astros RHP)

Injury Notes: Turner, Muncy, Garcia, Meyers

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Justin Turner isn’t in the starting lineup for Game 2 of the NLCS, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the third baseman is battling a neck stinger.  “He couldn’t turn his head to the right,” Roberts told MLB.com’s Juan Toribio and other reporters.  “Justin will do anything we ask, but I just don’t think it’s right to put him in that spot, and for us as a club, I think we have other options also.”  Chris Taylor will instead get the start at third base in Turner’s spot.

The injury first occurred during batting practice prior to Game 1, though Turner was well enough to play and went 1-for-4 in the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss to the Braves.  Roberts hopes Monday’s off-day will allow Turner to be ready for Game 3 on Tuesday, and Turner might only be used today in an emergency pinch-hit scenario.  Turner has yet to get going this postseason, as his hit in Game 1 was just his third of the playoffs; the veteran has only a .381 OPS through 30 plate appearances.

More injury notes from the postseason bracket…

  • Max Muncy updated reporters (including Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register) yesterday on the status of his dislocated left elbow.  While “the range of motion has actually been pretty decent the last couple days [and] we’re able to get more movement in it than we thought,” Muncy admitted that “it’s just one of those things where it’s not really close to normal and probably won’t be.  If we’re able to play, it’ll be essentially gutting through.”  Muncy said he has been participating in some unspecified rehab that may or may not be baseball activity-related, though he is also wearing a brace on his left arm at almost all times, even while sleeping.  The Dodgers didn’t include Muncy on their NLCS roster and it remains to be seen if he can be healthy enough to participate in the World Series, should Los Angeles get past the Braves.
  • Right knee discomfort forced Luis Garcia out of yesterday’s ALCS Game 2 in the second inning, though the Astros right-hander appears to have avoided serious injury.  Manager Dusty Baker told FOX 26’s Mark Berman (Twitter links) and other reporters that Garcia threw a bullpen session today, and the righty himself said “I feel really good, and I think whenever they say it’s time for me to get back on the mound I’ll be good to go.”  It isn’t known when Garcia might be able to pitch again, or if he’d be used in a starting or a relief capacity.  Garcia only threw 33 pitches in Game 2, but was also torched for five runs on three walks and two hits, including a J.D. Martinez grand slam.
  • Baker also told Berman and other media that Jake Meyers was throwing today, and the outfielder is doing better in the wake of his left shoulder injury from Game 4 of the ALDS.  Meyers collided with the outfield wall in pursuit of a Gavin Sheets home run and had to leave the field in the second inning.  The Astros included Meyers on their ALCS roster though he has yet to make an appearance against the Red Sox.

Astros’ Luis Garcia Leaves ALCS Game 2 Due To Right Knee Discomfort

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5:06PM: Garcia left the game due to discomfort in his right knee, the Astros announced.

4:34PM: Astros starter Luis Garcia made an early exit from Game 2 of the ALCS, leaving with a possible injury in the second inning.  After issuing a four-pitch walk to Kevin Plawecki to begin the frame, Garcia was visited on the mound by the team trainer, and ended up departing after consultation with manager Dusty Baker and pitching coach Brent Strom.

It has already been a nightmarish day for Garcia, who allowed four runs in the first inning thanks to a J.D. Martinez grand slam.  Only 14 of Garcia’s 33 pitches were strikes, continuing the control problems that plagued his first postseason start — Garcia allowed three walks and five hits in 2 2/3 innings in Game 3 of the ALDS, a 12-6 Astros loss to the White Sox.

The 24-year-old Garcia entered the playoffs on the heels of a quality rookie season that will surely net him some AL Rookie Of The Year consideration.  The right-hander posted a 3.30 ERA/3.91 SIERA and above-average strikeout (26.4%) and walk (7.9%) rates over 155 1/3 innings for Houston this season, starting 28 of his 30 games.

That solid form hasn’t continued into October, however, and now Garcia could be in danger of missing the World Series.  If Garcia’s injury requires him to be substituted off Houston’s roster, Garcia would be ineligible to pitch for the next postseason round, should the Astros advance past the Red Sox.

The other major concern for the Astros is that if Garcia is seriously hurt, the team is running short on pitching.  Lance McCullers Jr. (flexor pronator muscle strain) is already an omission from the ALCS roster and might not even be an option for the World Series if the Astros make it.  Game 1 starter Framber Valdez lasted only 2 2/3 innings, requiring a big effort from Houston’s bullpen to salvage the victory.  Jake Odorizzi took over for Garcia in relief, so the veteran’s availability for future games might be in question depending on how long he pitches today.

Jose Urquidy is scheduled to start Game 3 at Fenway Park, and Odorizzi’s usage today likely means that either Cristian Javier or Zack Greinke (who has been used as a reliever this postseason) will be starting Game 4.  With the red-hot Boston lineup hitting everything in sight, the Astros pitching staff faces a tall order for the remainder of the ALCS.

Astros Notes: Click, Luxury Tax, McCullers, Garcia

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The luxury tax “is a factor,” in what the Astros will do at the trade deadline, GM James Click told broadcaster Robert Ford on the team’s pregame radio show (hat tip to Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle).  However, Click also noted that the Competitive Balance Tax “is not a hard cap,” which is something of a broad remark that could imply the Astros are willing to exceed the $210MM threshold if necessary, or it could just be a simple statement of fact.  Houston is currently quite close to the $210MM threshold — Cot’s Baseball Contracts has the team’s estimated tax number just shy of $207MM, while Roster Resource has the Astros with even less breathing room at roughly $208.8MM.

The Astros exceeded the CBT threshold last year, though since they didn’t top the threshold by more than $20MM and it was their first time in excess, the club paid the minimal first-timer rate of a 20 percent tax on the overage (for a total bill of $3,263,800).  For passing the threshold again, the Astros would be taxed at 30 percent of the overage, though that again wouldn’t represent a big payout assuming they stayed under the $230MM mark.

As The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal has pointed out, however, if the Astros were tax-payors, their additional penalty would include lesser draft pick compensation if a qualifying-offer rejecting free agent (i.e. Carlos Correa or Justin Verlander) left for another team.  It would also cost Houston higher draft picks off their own board as compensatory picks if they were to sign a QO-rejecting free agent of their own.  The Astros may have to get creative in adding any sort of salary at the trade deadline if they are to stay under the tax threshold, since doing nothing would seem like a wasted opportunity for a club that has the look of playoff contender.

More from Houston…

  • Lance McCullers Jr. is scheduled to return from the injured list and start Tuesday’s game against the Rangers, manager Dusty Baker told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters.  McCullers went on the 10-day IL on May 26 due to a sore right shoulder, and he’ll be on a pitch limit as the Astros will look to ease him back into action.  Jake Odorizzi will work as the piggyback pitcher behind McCullers, as he too is working his way back to full strength following an IL stint due to a forearm strain.
  • Both McCullers and Odorizzi will be part of a six-man rotation Houston will deploy over a stretch of 20 games in 20 days, beginning on Tuesday.  It is quite possible that further injuries or lack of performance could alter the Astros’ plans over the next three weeks, but assuming everyone is healthy and effective, Chandler Rome thinks Luis Garcia could be the odd man out once the rotation reverts to a five-man staff that would consist of Zack Greinke, Jose Urquidy, Framber Valdez, McCullers, and Odorizzi.  Garcia has pitched quite well this season, with a 2.98 ERA/3.64 SIERA over 63 1/3 innings and above-average strikeout and walk rates.  Despite several injuries to the rotation earlier in the year, Houston is now in “good problem to have” territory with a surplus of arms — Cristian Javier has already been demoted to the bullpen after delivering good results as a starter.  With Garcia also possibly joining the mix in July, he could provide a nice boost to the Astros’ middle-of-the-pack relief corps.

COVID Notes: Astros, Red Sox, Cordero

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Latest notes

  • Major League Baseball released its latest set of COVID-19 testing results this afternoon. Out of 13,718 monitoring tests conducted this week, five (all belonging to players) returned a positive result, marking a 0.04% positivity rate. None of the week’s 81 intake tests came back positive.

Earlier today

  • Health and safety protocols will keep eight Astros pitchers away from the team for the time being. Right-handers Bryan Abreu, Pedro Báez, Luis García, Cristian Javier, Francis Martes, Enoli Paredes and non-roster invitees Ronel Blanco and Hector Velázquez are all currently away from camp, manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). Those players’ placement on the COVID-19 list does not mean they have tested positive for the coronavirus; a player can enter health and safety protocols due to exposure to someone who tested positive. Indeed, general manager James Click rejected the notion the team was suffering an outbreak, pointing out (via Rome) that the COVID protocols “cast a wide net” in an attempt to reduce viral transmission. There are no current plans to pause team activities, Click says.
  • Franchy Cordero was delayed in reporting to spring training because of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, but he’s now in camp and taking an intake physical, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic). If all goes well, Cordero could start team workouts today. The 26-year-old outfielder was a key part of Boston’s trade return for Andrew Benintendi.
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