I'm glad to see that they actually won on my birthday yesterday. Decided to not stay up until nearly midnight to see them win, lol. Went to bed when it started. . Feels good to be in first.
Yet, we still have people on here talking about firing Espada. I was critical of him early in the season, as was most people, but he’s got to get some credit now for the turn around. I’m sure if it was up to him he would have benched/cut Abreu well before it was approved by management.
Altuve, Bregman and Yordan all started hitting better as well. But they haven't really had to "carry" the team as they've gotten timely contributions from Diaz/Pena/Meyers/Singleton/ and fill in blank OF (Joey, Cabbage, Dubon, Cabbage) seemingly whenever the bigger bats weren't coming through. The lineup depth has been noticeable. Also Blanco is the one common denominator when they were struggling and when they were hot. Still gets overlooked. Bullpen depth (and bullpen games) have seen the best of Dubin/King/Scott/Martinez... all "JAG's" but they have done just enough without being over-exposed. Should be getting even more options with Murphy and possible trade acquisitions. They're going to have another slump where it looks like everything is bad... but hopefully they'll be getting some reinforcements regardless of whenever that slump hits, and we shall see if they have enough to build on the division lead (all advanced metrics say they should).
Reading this thread for the first time so these may have already been pointed out Bregman 2023 2nd half: .290 avg, .901 OPS, 53 runs, 32 extra base hits. Worthy of being included but a step below those other 4. Really bodes well for a 4th and maybe 5th productive guy in the 2nd half.
Ultimately, this will be the case (and basically has been the case for much of this hot streak). The only "problem" they've faced is possible overuse or being unavailable due to 3rd straight games or 3-in-4 day type patterns. Normally pitching doesn't need a month to "warm up" like some players in the lineup do, but that's exactly what apparently happened with this staff.
2024 Bregman: MarApr: .216 .283 .294 .577 May: .221 .276 .443 .719 June: .310 .367 .450 .817 July: .309 .377 .509 .886 Keep it going, the ceiling is through the roof!
Why would the Astros care about the fans when doing this? Hypothetically, if the Astros knew he was out for the year, the only reason they would keep it to themselves is for leverage at the trade deadline. Personally, I bet he will be back in August though.
Exactly. Am I the only one missing something? The last update from 2 weeks ago said he will resume on field activities (which he has) but was still likely a "few weeks away" (which we're still within). They clearly need him... but they've also not collapsed without him. Espada has figured out how to shuffle Joey/Cabbage/Chas/Dubon in the lineup and has had decent luck/success pushing the right buttons. The lineup will be even more fixed with him back, but its good to see some of the fringe guys (Joey/Cabbage) get semi-regular time enough to where they'll be able to sub-in or contribute well for the rest of the year.
I would be shocked if Seattle doesn't add at least 2 and maybe 3 or 4 bats in the next 10 days. The Mariners who will be fighting for the division and the post season over the next 60+ games are not the same 26 we are playing this weekend. Still, if Tucker returns they will likely be short of starting 9 the Astros already have. Still, the Astros have: 5 guys who are, without question, better than average offensive players (Altuve, Tucker, Alvarez, Bregman, Diaz) 2 guys who are exceptional defenders at key positions who are somewhere between 10% below to 10% above league average offensively depending on streaks (Pena, Meyers) 2 openings where anything can happen any game and an upgrade and consistency would be welcome (1B, LF) The Mariners' pitching is no joke (even last night they only gave up runs in a single inning and partially caused by a big error) so adding those bats could massively improve that team. I would still be happier with a 1B and/or LF upgrade before the deadline.
We had dinner with my orothopedic surgeon and his wife before the 4th. I asked him about "bone bruises" (which I know nothing about except what I read on the Mayo Clinic or wherever website, and one incident when I was a freshman in HS). He said the difference between a serious bone bruise and a bone bruise + hairline fracture is minimal when first diagnosed. I mentioned that in Tucker's case it was close enough to the knee to cause swelling, so they had to wait a couple of weeks to get proper imaging (Xrays were negative from the start). He says this is normal. He also says that the worst thing you can do, once the bone are is severely traumatized like that, is to rush back doing stuff on it. In its state it makes it so much more likely to *create* a stress fracture...and then you basically have to start your whole rehab timeline +extra time, all over again. There is no "tried-and-true" guideline to when these things heal. Every person and every injury is unique...not like a basic ACL tear (he's going to do my not-so-far future knee replacement, so I do trust this guy) I can understand why they're playing this carefully, and he also reiterated that the only people on Earth who know what is going on are Tucker, his doctor(s), his rehab staff, and his employer (since it was on-the-job).
We don't need hitting. Loperfido and Dubon can fill those positions and are solid hitters. Chas will have a better second half. Singleton's much better than Abreu was. Wagner and Leon down in AAA could step in. Cabbage could be part of the mix. If we're making a trade, it needs to be for starting pitching. This rotation is held together by bubble gum.
I remember that day well - when they finally fell 10 back, it was the first time that I started talking like the season was over - very hard to make up 10 games, especially with the schedule the Astros had. One month later - without their best player - they are in 1st place. Also lets us know how unpredictable it will be the rest of the season. The M’s franchise is desperate and they have a very strong farm system. Their needs are easy - hitting just about at any spot. They are willing to spend prospects for help now and they have plenty of prospects to spend… they will get at least one big bat if not two…. Astros front office will have pressure to improve the team too. Not confident the Astros without improvement hold off a M’s team that adds two bats, one a star and another “good”. Brown can’t pull a first baseman out of thin air, but he can get a bat like Yandy Diaz or an outfield bat that can let Alvarez DH and a starter to eat innings or at least a reliever on an expiring deal.
Agreed. I mentioned this at previous times when people were saying “just a bruise”. It hurts the same, fracture or no fracture. The inflammation, nerves, everything has to heal/resolve, fracture or no fracture. If he’s favoring the leg in any way, he won’t be effective…. Thus, we wait. Of course it always is frustrating that baseball doesn’t require the same injury transparency as the NFL.
I’m team Yandy. Him, Yanier and Yordan being physical beasts and all having Y names… there’s something there that I’m sure a marketing savvy person could come up with (and no more killer b’s).
