Earlier this week, Astros supervisor Joe Espada advised the Houston beat that Jose Altuve would play the “majority” of his video games in left discipline. The second-year skipper walked that again a bit on Friday, indicating that the workforce’s place participant combine stays unsettled.
“I’m not dedicated to Altuve being the on a regular basis left fielder nor any X participant being the on a regular basis second baseman,” Espada mentioned (relayed by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). “We’re exploring all our choices right here and we’ll make these choices after we get in direction of the tip of camp.”
Altuve has gotten the majority of his Spring Coaching work in left discipline. That’s prone to proceed because the Astros attempt to construct his outfield reps. Whereas Espada’s most up-to-date feedback go away the door open for the nine-time All-Star to return to second base, it nonetheless appears possible that Altuve will stay the workforce’s main left fielder. That’d go away the keystone to Mauricio Dubón. Houston added former Rockies’ Gold Glove winner Brendan Rodgers on a minor league deal. He may additionally play second base if the Astros wish to bounce Dubón across the diamond.
There’s an outdoor risk of prime prospect Cam Smith factoring into the infield combine earlier than lengthy. Chosen 14th general by the Cubs final summer season, Smith went to Houston alongside Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski within the Kyle Tucker blockbuster. Smith has all of 32 skilled video games underneath his belt, solely 5 of which have come above Excessive-A. Although he’s prone to start the season within the minor leagues, the 22-year-old has turned some heads in his first Spring Coaching. Smith is 7-11 with a pair of homers in exhibition play. He has drawn 4 walks whereas placing out simply as soon as.
Chandler Rome of The Athletic examined the opportunity of Smith breaking camp with the MLB workforce. Rome notes that the Astros promoted 2023 third-round decide Jake Bloss final June, lower than one calendar yr from his draft date. (Bloss was traded to Toronto within the Yusei Kikuchi deal a month later.) Bloss, a right-handed pitcher, had began eight video games in Double-A and jumped from there to the massive leagues. Carrying Smith on the Opening Day roster can be a bolder transfer, as he has nearly no expertise going through higher minors pitching.
Smith is a pure third baseman. That’s the place he performed at Florida State and the place he noticed all of his defensive innings within the Chicago system. Rome writes that the Astros want to get him some work in proper discipline (along with third base) within the minor leagues. Houston’s outfield is arguably its largest weak spot. Altuve will in all probability have some rising pains defensively if the Astros use him as their main left fielder. Heart fielder Jake Meyers is unlikely to offer a lot offensively. Chas McCormick is trying to rebound from the worst season of his profession in proper discipline. If McCormick struggles for a second consecutive yr, proper discipline can be a goal for midseason improve. The Astros would presumably need Smith to have some minor league expertise there earlier than contemplating him a candidate for outfield work at Daikin Park.
On the identical time, they’re additionally going through a possible damage absence on the infield grime. Christian Walker went for imaging after reporting soreness in his left indirect. Espada supplied an encouraging replace on Friday, saying that the MRI didn’t reveal any type of pressure (hyperlink through McTaggart). The Astros intend to steadily ease him again into sport motion.
Smith’s path to breaking camp could also be conditional on Walker opening the season on the injured checklist. That’d go away first base to a mix of Jon Singleton and Zach Dezenzo except the Astros needed to slip Paredes throughout the diamond and set up Smith on the sizzling nook. Espada didn’t decide to Walker being prepared for Opening Day, however the lack of a pressure appears to depart that as a risk.
Espada supplied one different damage replace of word. Lance McCullers Jr. obtained by means of a reside batting apply session this afternoon with out concern (through Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). The righty is predicted to get into sport motion within the close to future. That’ll be an enormous step for McCullers, who hasn’t pitched within the majors because the 2022 World Sequence. The Astros have already introduced that he’ll start the season on the injured checklist as he returns from June ’23 flexor surgical procedure. If McCullers will get into Spring Coaching motion, he could possibly be able to return from the IL inside the first few weeks of the common season.
