MOVING ON UP!
Houston Astros have a new plan in place to address their biggest weakness
Apr 29, 2024, 3:19 pm
MOVING ON UP!
The Houston Astros are promoting first baseman Joey Loperfido from Triple-A Sugar Land as they try to solve problems at the position.
The team announced Monday that Loperfido will be added to the roster before the start of Tuesday night’s series against Cleveland.
Joey Loperfido is H-Town bound. #Relentless pic.twitter.com/yIQulY7lTm
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 29, 2024
The move comes with veteran first baseman José Abreu off to a terrible start as the Astros have limped out to a 9-19 record, which is the second-worst in the American League. Abreu, who is in the second year of a three-year, $58.5 million contract, is hitting .099 with just one extra-base hit and three RBIs. In 77 plate appearances across 22 games this season, the 37-year-old has managed just seven hits.
The left-handed Loperfido will join the Astros after getting off to a terrific start in Sugar Land where he hit .287 with 13 homers and 27 RBIs in 25 games. The 13 homers lead the minor leagues and he's tied for third with 17 extra-base hits.
The 24-year-old, who is rated as Houston’s No. 6 prospect by MLB.com, was a seventh-round pick from Duke in the 2021 amateur draft. Loperfido, who is also an outfielder, spent four seasons in the team’s minor league system and was named Astros minor league player of the year last season.
Pitchers have nightmares about this man.
Joey Loperfido’s 13th home run of the season leads all of professional baseball 👏
📏 428 FT pic.twitter.com/XlxF821Azm
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) April 28, 2024
The Astros will make a corresponding roster move Tuesday when he is activated.
Fresh off their 50th win of the season, the Houston Astros begin a three-game series in Colorado on Tuesday night, looking to stay hot against a Rockies team still searching for answers.
Houston enters the matchup atop the AL West with a 50–34 record, having won seven of its last 10 games. Though the Astros haven’t been as sharp on the road — just 18–20 away from home — their pitching and power-hitting combo continues to give opponents fits. Isaac Paredes leads the team with 17 home runs, and when Houston clears the fences multiple times in a game, the results speak for themselves: an 18–5 record when hitting two or more homers.
Victor Caratini has quietly chipped in during this recent stretch, going 8-for-33 with three home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games, helping make up for some offensive inconsistency. Houston’s team batting average over that span sits at just .225.
Left-hander Colton Gordon takes the mound Tuesday, carrying a 3-1 record and 3.98 ERA into his ninth start of the year. He’ll face a Colorado offense that’s scuffled all season, particularly at home. The Rockies have managed just eight wins in 40 games at Coors Field and are riding a 2–8 skid. Rookie righty Chase Dollander (2-8, 6.06 ERA) gets the start for Colorado as he looks to slow down a Houston team that has found different ways to win.
While Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak have provided some spark for the Rockies at the plate, the team has been outscored by 26 runs over the past 10 games and owns one of the league’s worst pitching staffs, a troubling combo against an Astros club that doesn’t need many openings to take control.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. For Houston, it’s a chance to keep momentum rolling against the team with MLB’s worst record. For Colorado, it’s another test in a season full of them.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -173, Rockies +144; over/under is 11 1/2 runs
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