Since before Astros spring training started I’ve seen saying that no news would be good news for them. The only meaningful news that could happen would be bad. Meaningful news hit midweek…and it was bad. Yuli Gurriel’s hand surgery sidelines him for about six weeks, which means a couple of weeks into the regular season. Bad news, but not remotely devastating news. Gurriel was going to miss the first five games anyway because of his racially insensitive gesture suspension.

And there’s this: while Gurriel had an excellent first full season in the majors last year, he was only the seventh best offensive player in the Astros’ lineup. That speaks to how absolutely fantastic the Astro attack was in 2017. Gurriel batted .299, led the club with 43 doubles, and popped 18 homers. But Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, Marwin Gonzalez, Josh Reddick, and Alex Bregman all were better. And they’re all healthy.

Gurriel’s temporary absence means temporary opportunity for someone among Tyler White, J.D. Davis, A.J. Reed, and Tony Kemp. The MLB minimum salary this year is $545,000, so more than 3K per day. The minor league salary for players with big league experience is about $90,000. So making a big league roster is a big deal on multiple levels. The guy with no chance whatsoever of making the team is perhaps the most deserving, without doubt the player of greatest potential. 21 year old lefthanded sweet-stroking Kyle Tucker blasted three homers in his first 13 Grapefruit League at bats. Tucker is widely considered one of the top 10 prospects in the game. He’ll make about $3000 per month in the minors.

If Tucker is tearing up AA or AAA and Derek Fisher is not impressing with the big club, Tucker’s time needs to come sooner than later. But because of financial considerations the soonest sooner would arrive is mid-June. For anyone wondering whatever happened to Kyle’s older, less talented brother Preston, he’s trying to make the Atlanta Braves this spring.

Rangers taking shots in the dark

I’m not saying the Texas Rangers are desperate for pitching, except that is EXACTLY what I’m saying.

They began February by signing washed up 44-year-old Bartolo Colon, they end it by signing washed up 33-year-old Tim Lincecum.  Lincecum was an early career superstar with the Giants, winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards before he turned 26 years old. After winning those he had two more good seasons. After that he was basically awful. That’s since 2011!

Lincecum couldn’t find work last year, after in 2016 getting routinely embarrassed on the mound when over nine starts with the Angels his earned run average was 9.16. You’ve probably heard the saying nothing ventured nothing gained. Well, it will be a big surprise if the Rangers venturing to sign Colon and Lincecum gains them anything at all. Their (I presume) quasi-serious attempt to add a starting pitcher was signing Doug Fister.

Funny thing (not for Rangers fans) is the offense in Arlington was as big a problem as was the pitching in 2017.

The Rangers finished 23 games back of the Astros in the American League West last year. They have done nothing this offseason to make anyone believe they are plausible contenders going into 2018.

The race is on

I don’t sense the Rockets-Warriors battle for best in the west being sufficiently appreciated by enough people around here. The Rockets are the first team since the Mike D’Antoni-coached 2006-07 Phoenix Suns to compile two winning streaks as long as 14 games. And they have needed every one of those wins to be one half game ahead of the reigning champions. All the Rockets need the rest of the way is 11 wins 10 losses to break the franchise record for wins in a season. Unless something goes very wrong very soon they are going to shatter the record and win closer to 65 games. Two seasons ago Golden State won 73 games and San Antonio won 67, the only time in NBA history that two teams in the same conference won at least 65. The Rockets need a 17-4 close to hit 65 (which would mean a 31-4 close!), the Warriors need 17-3. Not probable, but feasible for both.

When the Rockets compiled their amazing 22 game winning streak in 2008-09, it was an elite Boston Celtics squad that snapped it, routing the Rockets at Toyota Center. An elite Celtics squad visits Toyota Center Saturday night in a possible NBA Finals preview. If not Rockets-Celtics, maybe Rockets-Raptors (listen for the sobbing from ESPN/ABC executives). The Rockets play at Toronto next Friday.

Buzzer beaters

1. Shaka Smart’s UT record before Saturday’s vital game vs. West Virginia: 48-48   2. No QB in this year’s NFL draft is worth a top five pick, but desperation probably dictates at least two go that high   3. Best ice cream flavors ever: Bronze-Ben&Jerry’s chocolate chip cookie dough  Silver-Haagen Dazs rum raisin  Gold-Friendly’s butter crunch.