I could be wrong but unfortunately I don't think so. Maybe just some fake crowd background noise. Tuned in to the first one and there was no sound + bad camera angle and haven't watched them since (but that might have changed?)
Camera appears better today. Previously, it was tough to tell who was who among the prospects that are basically depth.
Dusty Baker said there were two additional Astros who did not receive their test results in time to participate today. He did not name them. Dusty Baker revealed today that Austin Pruitt and Brad Peacock are "ailing." Asked what was wrong with them, Baker said he could not say. Ryan Pressly is also "ailing." Pressly was supposed to pitch today but didn't. I did see Pressly at the ballpark today, though.
I was able to catch majority of the intrasquad today. A few observations: -Verlander looks great- he’s ready. -McCullers struggled with command at times but anytime runners got on base, he was able to induce groundballs for double plays and work his way out of jams or get the punch out. Similar to the McCullers pre-Tommy John. So I’d say that’s a good sign. - Whitley had a solid inning. Attacked the strike zone. Seemed a little cocky to shake off the catcher and challenge Bregman with a fastball over the heart of the plate on a 1-2 count- but at least he has confidence.( Breg popped out) - Biagini looks horrible. -Brantley looks ready. Oppo double to the wall in left center- inches away from a homerun. -Correa with another hit. -impressed with McCormick, Jones. Each put together solid ABs and hits. Good depth in case guys miss time
Lance McCullers Jr. and Josh James will start the Astros' two exhibition games against the Royals in Kansas City. McCullers in Game 1, James in Game 2 More stuff from Strom: He said Forrest Whitley "is going to be a star." Valdez looked "exceptional. His stuff was electric." They're using Cole as a model for Josh James Greinke threw 67-pitch bullpen yesterday
All pitchers.... Pitching coach Brent Strom and the Astros’ major league pitching staff are all absent from (Sunday's) summer camp workouts after manager Dusty Baker said they were “part of that exposure” that shut down Saturday’s workouts.
Brad Peacock: Right shoulder inflammation Ryan Pressly: Right index finger blister Austin Pruitt: Right elbow inflammation All are day-to-day Strom thinks Roberto Osuna and Ryan Pressly will be ready by Opening Day, his 8th and 9th guys. He said 6th and 7th innings will be the key to success. Astros could piggyback early in the season. Said he's excited to see the "young bucks" who will be called upon this year. Called it a different phase of Astros pitching. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/te...er-Astros-question-COVID-19-test-15408574.php Justin Verlander pondered a question that, to this point, has no apparent answer. “What would happen if my test results didn’t come back in time and I’m the starting pitcher that day?” Verlander asked Tuesday, another day where a delayed COVID-19 test result dominated the discussion at Astros camp. “That would be pretty tough to leave my team hanging like that just because the results aren’t back and we largely know they’ll probably be negative because I’ve been doing my part to social distance.” “A club can decide how they want to handle workout participation for the relatively small number of tests that are pending,” a league spokesman said in a statement Tuesday. “Most of the samples get returned quickly; that a small number are later than others does not necessarily make “delayed” or late; we’re still within the prescribed period.” “We definitely are hoping and expecting testing to be better,” said Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr., the team’s union player rep. “We don’t have any more time. We’re on an escalated timetable already. We’ve had to miss multiple days now for COVID testing. The Astros are doing a fantastic job with the other players here, following protocols, making sure everyone is safe and healthy. We just need the testing to come through." “Those tests need to be read in the timely manner that we agreed to so guys don’t have to sacrifice days and sacrifice games,” McCullers said Tuesday. “Sixty games is not a lot of games. We don’t have enough time for me to wake up one morning and get a text saying ‘Hey, you can’t start today because your COVID test isn’t back.’ “We’ve agreed to a specific set of guidelines that range tenfold to a bunch of other stuff that we’re doing and following. We need testing to be up to par with the effort we’re putting in." “The health and safety of the citizens of Houston are paramount,” Click said. “We are never going to lose sight of that. We will talk to our doctors about whether there is capacity locally if we need it. But, by and large, I think we would like to rely on MLB’s infrastructure as much as we possibly can.” Asked Monday what the regular season protocols may be for testing delays, Click said he was still working with Major League Baseball to determine it. Manager Dusty Baker echoed the sentiments. “This is going to carry (into) the season,” McCullers said. “And then what happens? We have to play without our leadoff center fielder because the test wasn’t read? We understand this is a rapid testing process that MLB has put a lot of time into to try and get it right, but there has to be some things ironed out.” Added Verlander: “I don’t know the procedures enough to know what would happen in season if this happens, but it’s really inexcusable, in season, for a player that can help you win a game to miss said game because said test results didn’t get back quickly enough, when we were told they would be.”
Shoulder again for Peacock, that's unfortunate Press, do the Alou? Bummer on Pruitt, arms are gonna be essential this "season." As always, thanks for what you do, @J.R.
James is built up to pitch about four innings, Strom said, and is expected to claim one of the final two spots in the rotation. https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/lance-...ntrasquad-game.html?__twitter_impression=true Looking like Valdez and James at back end if Urquidy isn't ready.
So Whitley looked good yesterday? From the clip I saw on twitter he definitely seems back to his old delivery. Anyone notice what secondary pitches he was using?
Spoiler José Urquidy is technically still considered a prospect. Because he pitched fewer than 50 regular season innings last season (he logged 41) and spent less than 45 days in the majors before rosters expanded in September, he retained his rookie status entering 2020. But Urquidy no longer feels like a prospect, not after he thrived as a starter on quite literally the sport’s biggest stage last October. When he’s available and ready, the Astros will count on the 2019 World Series Game 4 star to start games for them this season. For the purposes of this exercise, he’s not a prospect. He’s already a major leaguer. But even in the dramatically shortened, 60-game regular season — if MLB can somehow pull it off amid a pandemic — the Astros will likely need to tap into their player development pipeline to plug holes on their pitching staff, particularly in their bullpen. Which prospects appear to be first in line and thus have the best odds at pitching for the major league team in 2020? Let’s delve into the three who, at least as of now, seem to be the most likely to get a chance to play a role this season. All three have this in common: they are right-handers from the Dominican Republic who were overlooked on the international market and are already on the Astros’ 40-man roster. That last point is imperative as it relates to this particular topic. Any player not presently on the 40-man roster inherently faces worse odds at playing in the majors this season. A non-roster prospect who’s reached the upper minors like Brandon Bielak or Forrest Whitley has to prove to be a markedly better option than the alternative who’s already on the roster. Bryan Abreu Presuming health and availability, Abreu is a lock to be on the Astros’ Opening Day roster, likely in the bullpen. He also represents starter depth, but his lack of experience and control questions probably make him better suited for a relief role this year. The Astros could use him as a multi-inning reliever in the middle innings or even deploy him in high-leverage situations later in games. They never really replaced Will Harris, who was their go-to option against left-handed hitters, and Abreu’s best pitches should play well against lefties. Two power breaking balls, a 12-6 curveball and a wipeout slider, highlight Abreu’s arsenal. He’s the rare pitcher to have better command of his breaking pitches than his fastball, which averaged 95 mph in relief last year. An impressive September run earned him a spot in the Astros’ ALCS bullpen last year, but he would’ve began in Triple A to continue his development as a starter this season had it not been for the pandemic. Abreu, who signed with the Astros for $40,000 in Nov. 2013, struggled to throw strikes early in his pro career. It wasn’t until 2018 when he advanced to even Low A. But his development has accelerated since, and Astros pitching coach Brent Strom is bullish on Abreu’s longterm potential as a starter. “I think he can conceivably become a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher for a contending team,” Strom said in March. “I’m a big fan of spin and being able to throw breaking balls for strikes, and Bryan Abreu has shown that ability.” Facing experienced hitters as a Triple A starter this season would’ve benefited the 23-year-old Abreu’s development. But given that’s not a possibility, he could quickly become a prominent member of their major league bullpen in the sprint that will be the 2020 season. Cristian Javier Javier was quietly one of the best pitchers in minor league baseball last season, and he’s also an important part of their rotation depth. Like Abreu, Javier was assigned to train with the major leaguers at Minute Maid Park as opposed to at the team’s alternate summer camp site, the University of Houston’s baseball facilities. A fastball that his minor league teammates have referred to as an “invisiball” is Javier’s calling card. Though he sits in only the low 90s with his velocity, he’s dominated with the pitch because of a combination of spin and deception out of his low three-quarters arm slot. A sweeping slider is his primary secondary pitch. He also has a changeup and a curveball. The 23-year-old Javier was a late bloomer; he didn’t move from the outfield to the mound until he was 16, the age at which most of the best Dominican prospects sign. The Astros signed him at 18 for a $10,000 bonus in March 2015. He made it to full-season minor league ball by May 2017. Of these three pitchers, Javier might have the best odds at sticking as a starter long term. But even if no starts are available for him this season, the Astros could use him as a long reliever. Enoli Paredes Paredes is a candidate to debut as a reliever this season. The undersized righty has an electric arm that can generate velocity readings in the upper 90s. His fastball generally sits 94-to-96 mph, and his best secondary pitch is a power slider. He also has a curveball and a changeup, but in a relief role he could focus primarily on his two best pitches. Only 5-foot-11 and about 170 pounds but highly confident in his stuff, Paredes has drawn comparisons to the late Royals starter Yordano Ventura, one of his role models on the mound. They grew up in the same part of the Dominican Republic, albeit four years apart in age. After Paredes turned pro, Ventura took him under his wing and trained with him during offseasons. Paredes is 24 but didn’t start focusing on pitching full-time until he was 18; until then, he was a middle infielder who pitched only occasionally. After a year of work, he garnered tryouts with a bunch of teams. Enticed by his arm speed and overall athleticism, the Astros signed him at 19 in Oct. 2015 for a $10,000 bonus. The Astros have developed Paredes as a starter, but command issues and durability questions make him more likely to end up in the bullpen longterm. A need for reinforcements during the 2020 season could accelerate his timeline to the majors. He was in big league camp for the first time during spring training. For summer camp workouts, he’s primarily trained at the University of Houston site.
The Astros added righthanded pitchers Humberto Castellanos, Ronel Blanco and Carlos Sanabria to their player pool, according to the league's transaction wire. Austin Pruitt (elbow inflammation) said he is "coming along real nice." He did acknowledge that he is "behind" and will probably not be ready for opening day. Pruitt's elbow soreness stems back to spring training, he said. An MRI revealed a bone bruise. Astros RHP Austin Pruitt (elbow inflammation) said his arm is “coming along real nice” and he’s feeling better. The back of his elbow/triceps was sore in spring. It wound up being bone bruise. Pruitt says he probably misses first week of season. He might throw bullpen in a week.
Interesting adds. Sanabria and Blanco can get into the upper 90s. Haven’t read much on Castellanos. Notable that guys like them are passing over guys like Tyler Ivey, Riley Ferrell, and Tommy DeJuneas. Current guess for opening day roster: C: Maldonado, Garneau, Stubbs IF: Gurriel, Altuve, Correa, Bregman, Diaz, Toro OF: Springer, Brantley, Reddick, Tucker, Straw SP: Verlander, Greinke, McCullers, James, Valdez, Javier, Abreu, Sneed, Whitley, Bielak RP: Taylor, Paredes, Biagini, Devenski, Pressly, Osuna DL: Urquidy, Pruitt, Peacock, Armenteros, C Perez, Emanuel, Y Alvarez Restricted: Smith Suspended: Martes Reserve: Papierski, Jones, Mayfield, De Goti, Tanielu, McCormick, Dawson, Ferguson, Meyers, Shaver, Ritchie, N Rodriguez, Bailey, Conine, Torres, Dubin, Garcia, Scrubb, Garza, Blanco, Castellanos, Sanabria I think with the unpredictable nature of testing and this virus, they will lean toward having multiple pitchers ready to start or throw 3+ innings each game so as not to get caught constantly employing the “bullpen day” when a starter’s test doesn’t come back in time or comes back positive, and the bullpen will really only consist of Pressly and Osuna throwing the 8th and 9th in close games. Toro goes down when Alvarez is ready. Paredes, Whitley, and Bielak would be first down when Urquidy, Pruitt, and Peacock return.
Is Ferrell done as a prospect? On Ivey, I suspect he would be claimed if he has to be removed off the 60-man. I suspect Blanco and Castellanos are looked at as low leverage cannon fodder if the Astros need them.
Justin Verlander will start for the Astros on opening day against the Mariners. Yuli Gurriel said he is "thinking about" wearing a mask during games this season, especially when runners reach first base and he has to hold the bag. Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel, who is a free agent after this season: "I really hope I'll be able to stay here." Baker said he's proceeding as if veteran reliever Joe Smith won't be with the club this year. "He's welcome to come back. Right now, we plan to go without Joe." It sounds like Lance McCullers Jr. will start game two for the Astros. Zack Greinke's throwing schedule was affected by the recent missed workouts. McCullers is starting the team's exhibition game on Monday, which would put him on full rest for the second game on July 25 Dusty Baker said Josh James is going to start against Zack Greinke in the intrasquad game tomorrow at Minute Maid Park. Dusty Baker said the piped-in crowd noise during the Astros intrasquad games needs some work. "It doesn't quite sound like crowd noise yet. I thought somebody left the water faucet on to tell you the truth. Everybody's like, 'Hey man, you hear that water running?' "
Only way being left off the 60 man roster isn’t the end for a prospect who would’ve been in AAA is if they are hurt.
