Dusty Baker’s surprising statement raises questions about Astros prospect
THERE'S A CATCH
03 May 2023
Prior to the start of the season, Yainer Diaz was expected to get a bump in playing time with Christian Vazquez leaving for Minnesota and Martin Maldonado in the last year of his deal at 36 years old.
But despite Maldonado's challenges at the plate (.162/.250/.235), and decline in defensive skills, Diaz has not been playing as much as expected. And he's not getting enough at-bats to make any reasonable conclusions about how he's progressing in MLB.
When manager Dusty Baker was asked about the distribution of playing time, he said it's been difficult to get enough opportunities for Diaz AND catcher César Salazar. And we shouldn't expect Maldonado's role to change until the schedule shifts.
Be sure to check out the video above as we lay out why these comments are so head-scratching.
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Green ties career high as Rockets rally to beat the Grizzlies
Jan 13, 2025, 11:22 pm
Jalen Green tied his career high with 42 points, capped by a layup that gave Houston the lead late, and the Rockets rallied for a 120-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
The Grizzlies were down by four before Jaylen Wells made a 3-pointer followed by a steal and layup from Brandon Clarke that put them up 115-114 with just under a minute left.
Green’s layup put the Rockets on top 116-115 before a turnover by Ja Morant gave Houston the ball back. Amen Thompson was fouled and made two free throws with 8.1 seconds left to make it 118-115.
Morant missed two free throws after that and Fred VanVleet added two free throws for Houston with 2.1 seconds left to make it 120-115 and secure the victory.
It was Houston’s fourth straight win overall and second in a row over Memphis after beating the Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night.
Morant swished a 38-footer to put the Grizzlies up by 12 with about eight minutes to go.
The Rockets went on a 16-2 run after that to take a 107-105 lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Green and VanVleet had 3-pointers during that stretch and Thompson added six points to help Houston erase the deficit.
Morant had 29 points for the Grizzlies, and Desmond Bane scored 25.
Takeaways
Grizzlies: They need to do a better job of finishing after leading by 12 in the fourth quarter.
Rockets: Green delivered the kind of dominant performance the Rockets need from him on occasion as they look to remain among the top teams in the Western Conference.
Key moment
Houston’s 16-2 run that erased the double-digit deficit.
Key stat
Houston had 15 offensive rebounds to just eight by Memphis.
Up next
Houston visits Denver on Wednesday night, and the Grizzlies play the first of consecutive games at San Antonio that night.
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