Unsung Astros
Short-handed Astros are showing us why we should #NeverSettle
Aug 9, 2018, 6:44 am
Rondon is making his case to stay in the closer's role. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
There’s a difference between being disappointed when a star player gets hurt and giving up hope. Which category were you in? Let’s rewind a little bit.
- May 29: Brian McCann lands on the DL with right knee soreness.
McCann is replaced with Federowicz. One starter on the DL—not bad.
- June 26: Carlos Correa hits the DL with back soreness.
This one hurts, but it’s okay. We’ve got bats to spare.
- July 28: Jose Altuve get sent to the DL with a right knee injury.
Jose Altuve hits the DL for the first time in his career, and it comes when we drop three straight to the Rangers. Nice.
- August 3: Chris Devenski goes to the 10-day DL with left hamstring tightness.
A reliable arm from the bullpen joins relief pitcher Jandel Gustave on the DL. Okay, that’s enough.
- August 4: Lance McCullers Jr. leaves game, is placed on 10-day DL the following day with elbow discomfort.
Down goes a pitcher from our impressive starting rotation that’s been used consistently from opening day.
- August 6: George Springer sent to the DL with a left thumb injury.
Seriously?
Welcome back. It’s been tough for the defending world champs when it comes to injuries, but have you given up on them? Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t.
They’re still winning games.
Starting July 28, when Altuve left the lineup, the Astros are 6-4. With a couple of tough losses in that ten-game stretch, they’re still winning some important series, including those against the Mariners and the Dodgers.
The Astros also maintain the second-best record in all of baseball, only behind the Red Sox, staying ahead of last season’s pace. With Carlos Correa hopefully returning soon, the team will have even more help in continuing that pace.
Players are taking on positions that they’re not necessarily used to.
Gurriel has started at second base only three times in his MLB career—both of them were this season. Bregman has also returned to shortstop, a position that he hasn’t played in much since coming to Houston. These guys are helping manager AJ Hinch be creative with these lineups with several starters not playing.
Players like JD Davis and Tyler White are also seeing their names on the lineup cards a lot more often in these unusual lineups. White has more than earned his spot in the lineup recently with some important hits in crucial innings. The 27-year-old has nine hits including Tuesday’s go-ahead homer in his last seven outings with the ‘Stros.
The pitching has been excellent. Yes, even the bullpen!
We’ve talked about a few names from the bullpen this season—in both good and bad lights—but right now, it’s about Héctor Rondón. He’s appeared in the closer spot a lot in recent games and has managed to impress many. In his three appearances in the month of August, Rondón has racked up three strikeouts with no earned runs.
It’ll be interesting to see how McCullers’ injury will play out, but in the meantime, the Astros are keeping their pitching in a good place with an MLB-best team ERA of 3.00, despite missing guys like Devenski and McCullers.
This is a team that can win another World Series.
All in all, we can be a little bit pissed at the baseball gods for how these injuries have stacked up. We can also look forward to the return of these injured players. What we cannot do is count this team out. They’re proving to us with each game that we should never settle and to expect every bit of fight they have in that clubhouse to be laid out on the field day after day. This is the kind of team you need to win back-to-back championships.
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Takeaways from the Astros’ series win over the Orioles
The bats carried the Astros to a series win over the Orioles. Houston scored 7, 10, and 9 runs in the first three games — and they needed every bit of that production to hold off a scrappy Baltimore team that kept fighting back. It was a sharp contrast from their previous series against Detroit, when the Astros managed only two runs across three games.
Over the past seven days, Houston’s offense has been middle-of-the-pack, ranking 12th in runs scored and 22nd in OPS, while the pitching staff has struggled with a 5.19 ERA, 24th in MLB.
Offense heating up
Carlos Correa has led the way during this stretch, hitting .370 with a .901 OPS. He’s been far from alone, though. Jesús Sánchez (.368 AVG, 1.032 OPS), Victor Caratini (.976 OPS), Yainer Díaz (.304 AVG, .820 OPS), and Christian Walker (.276 AVG, .921 OPS) have all delivered at the plate. The collective surge has been timely, giving the Astros’ rotation and bullpen some much-needed margin for error.
Can the bullpen hold up?
That margin might not last if the bullpen wears down. Bryan Abreu has been excellent, but his workload is becoming a concern. With Bennett Sousa landing on the IL with elbow discomfort, depth is thinner than ever. Houston hopes Craig Kimbrel — added from the Rangers’ minor league system — can provide another leverage arm. His debut was encouraging: no runs, two strikeouts.
Still, inconsistency looms. Cristian Javier continues to struggle with command. Javier recorded 10 walks over his 9.2 innings in his rehab starts with Sugar Land. Unfortunately, those control issues have followed him back to the big leagues. McCullers is dealing with the same issues, walking five batters in just four innings in his most recent start.
Walks have not only led to quick rallies, but also forced the bullpen to absorb heavy innings when starters can’t work deep. Javier's latest start against Baltimore was a prime example: spotted a five-run lead in the first, he immediately walked the first two batters and gave the runs right back in the first two innings. Then the bullpen had to cover the final seven frames. AJ Blubaugh really came through for the club, delivering four innings.
Patience with Javier
There may be a silver lining. Javier looked sharp in his first outing back from Tommy John surgery, and perhaps expectations were set too high too quickly. Manager Joe Espada has urged patience, reminding that bumps were always likely during the recovery process. The key for Javier — and for Lance McCullers, will be consistently throwing strikes.
MLB realignment thoughts
On a different note, realignment has been a popular topic this week. Personally, I like the Astros in the American League, where rivalries with the Yankees and Red Sox have added juice. The AL West isn’t the toughest division, which benefits Houston, though the late-night West Coast trips remain a grind. If a shift happens, it’ll come with trade-offs, but for now the AL feels like the right home.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode on Thursday!
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