How MLB got served rude awakening on Astros staying power
PLEASANT REMINDER
27 April 2023
PLEASANT REMINDER
The Houston Astros have been on a roll, beating some of the best teams in baseball over the last three series. And Hunter Brown as been a big reason for their success this season.
Brown is off to a fast start in 2023 and has a chance to bring home the Rookie of the Year hardware if he can continue on this pace.
With Brown in mind, we discuss how the rotation could look upon Lance McCullers' return, and we also hit on how the Astros would set their playoff rotation if the postseason started today.
Be sure to check out the video above as we break it all down.
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Listen to The Bench with John Granato and Lance Zierlein weekday mornings on ESPN 97.5 and 92.5.
Astros GM Dana Brown spoke with the media on Tuesday and shared some surprising updates about some of the club's key players.
Firstly, Brown spoke about Alex Bregman as if he's no longer in Houston's plans. Which shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering the moves Houston made to replace Breggy and Tucker.
It feels like any hope for Alex's return to Houston is coming from agent Scott Boras looking to use the 'Stros as leverage.
Yet, with Bregman unlikely to return, the team is still looking to play Jose Altuve in left field. Moving Altuve to left made some sense if they were doing it to accommodate Bregman, but reports suggest Houston would have done the same thing had they signed Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco, who has defensive issues of his own.
It sounds strange, but Brown made a point of saying Altuve looked good in left field. One has to wonder if another move is coming, or if Mauricio Dubon plays second base when Houston's top ground ball pitchers (Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown) make their starts.
Health updates
Brown shared optimism about the return of Lance McCullers, who is currently throwing off a mound and reaching 90mph. As much as we would love to see McCullers return, it's hard for many to get too excited after a few positive throwing sessions. But hey, never say never. They could certainly use him.
It was also revealed at the presser that Luis Garcia is throwing on flat ground with no issues. While that is good news, we expected Garcia would be further along in his recovery. Pitchers and catchers report in about a week, and he's still not throwing off a mound. Hopefully that changes sooner rather than later.
Don't miss the video above as ESPN Houston's John Granato and Lance Zierlein try to make sense out of the latest updates from the Astros, and much more!