The only way Whitley won’t be the SP on Sunday is if they are just waiting to see if they have to use Bielak tonight or tomorrow. But I’m assuming they will keep Bielak in the pen and Whitley will start Sunday.
So we pretty much have to make some kind of call on Whitley this season. I guess the Astros just decided "f**k it, this is probably as good a time as any" Throw him in the pool and see if he swims.
Pretty much... because he certainly hasn't "earned" a call up with his performance. He's on his last option year as well. Astros probably figure might as well bring him up and get him working with our mlb pitching coaches directly. Then put Maldy behind the plate for his first start and you tell Whitley you do not shake him off even one time.
I think Clifford and Loperfido have impressed me the most so far of the position player minor leaguers so far this season.
After going hitless in his first two games with Fayetteville, Ricardo Balogh is on a 7-game hit streak.
I was intrigued by him when he signed a few years ago. Big framed kid, I wanna say he was listed at 6’4” or 6’5” in the original signing press release; he’s listed at 6’3” now. But he didn’t do much until this month. Would be great to have a unexpected breakout.
Ryan Clifford's 3-4 night gives him a line of .361/.514 (lol)/.494. It could be time to start putting him on promotion watch. Joey Mancini and Tyler Guilfoil both turned in solid nights on the mound for the Woodpeckers: Mancini: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K Guilfoil: 4 IP, H, unearned run (scored on a sac fly), 2 BB, 5 K
Among the flurry of roster moves in the system today, Diosmerky Taveras and Logan VanWey were moved up to AA. Taveras was labeled as throwing high 90s but has been plagued by a high walk rate. VanWey is in his first full season after being a UDFA last year, although he’s an older prospect at 24. Taveras is pitching for Corpus right now.
Rhett Kouba currently has a k%-bb% of 29.8%. That’s the highest of any Houston pitcher in AA among players 23 or younger in a single season since at least 2006 (min 20 IP). The next 10 guys behind him on that list, grouped by outcome: Bust (2): Paul Estrada, Mitch Lambson Star (3): Joe Musgrove, Lance McCullers, Cristian Javier Middling/AAAA (2): Vince Velasquez, David Paulino TBD (3): Spencer Arrighetti, Tyler Ivey, Enoli Paredes
The Astros don’t usually do that. They likely see something they are encouraged about. I say that as someone with no confidence in Forest Whitley and whatever is rattling around in his pea sized brain.
