Astros send Taylor Trammell to minors, but roster decisions remain before Opening Day
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — No ultimate decisions are anticipated till Wednesday, but the Houston Astros’ murky outfield image grew clearer on Sunday morning.
Perhaps, so did a battle for the ultimate spot on Houston’s Opening Day roster.
Reassigning veteran outfielder Taylor Trammell to the minor leagues ought to bode properly for each Zach Cole and Joey Loperfido’s probabilities to crack the roster, but Brice Matthews’ emergence as a legitimate outfield option will create an interesting determination for Houston’s baseball operations employees.
Two components could decide Matthews’ destiny: how a lot inventory the Astros’ braintrust places into Grapefruit League statistics and the standing of injured shortstop Jeremy Peña, who fractured his proper ring finger on March 4.
Peña resumed hitting this weekend and has not been dominated out for Opening Day, supervisor Joe Espada mentioned on Sunday. Peña took simply 11 Grapefruit League at-bats before sustaining his harm and has not confronted reside pitching since.
Earlier this month, Peña said he didn’t want a selected variety of at-bats to deem himself prepared for the season. “If I get into a game and I feel like my swing is ready to go, then that’s all I need,” he mentioned. “For me, it’s a feel thing.”
The Astros play two exhibition video games in opposition to Triple-A Sugar Land at Daikin Park on Monday and Tuesday. It is unclear if Peña will likely be within the lineup or whether or not he’ll even journey again to Houston.
Peña may remain in West Palm Beach and take at-bats in minor-league video games, the place there’s much less construction and extra capability for him to accumulate as many plate appearances as doable.
If Peña shouldn’t be prepared for Opening Day, carrying Loperfido, Cole and Matthews on the roster is straightforward. With Peña out there, although, solely two spots would appear open for these three gamers. Right fielder Cam Smith and middle fielder Jake Meyers are skilled of their positions.
Each of Loperfido, Cole and Matthews has minor-league choices remaining. Loperfido and Cole are left-handed hitters, which Houston’s lineup sorely wants, but Cole has struggled to harness any offensive consistency in Grapefruit League play. Cole entered Sunday’s finale with 19 strikeouts in 37 at-bats, displaying off the swing-and-miss that has lengthy plagued his offensive profile.
Matthews slashed .257/.395/.429 in 35 Grapefruit League at-bats. He stole eight bases, labored eight walks and struck out 12 instances. Spring coaching statistics are sometimes meaningless, but Espada mentioned earlier in camp he would weigh them when making outfield roster decisions. Bear in thoughts that this is similar braintrust that, final season, carried Smith on his Opening Day roster largely due to his play within the Grapefruit League.
Matthews has made eight Triple-A begins in middle area. Before spring coaching, Espada vowed to expose Matthews extra to middle area to improve his versatility. Espada began him in left area earlier this week, accentuating how significantly the Astros are contemplating deploying him there in some lineup configurations.
Espada has lengthy preached that any prospect on a major-league roster ought to obtain common taking part in time. Carrying each Cole and Matthews would run counter to this, particularly if Peña is included on the Opening Day roster. There will not be sufficient at-bats for each. Loperfido is a 26-year-old veteran of 122 major-league video games and needs to be exempt from this customary.
Facing at the least three left-handed starters through the season’s first seven video games would afford a runway for Matthews to play persistently. Cole is a extra completed outfield defender than Matthews, although taking part in beneath the left-field brief porch at Daikin Park ought to mitigate that fear.
Cole is 25 years outdated and has taken 61 plate appearances at Triple A. Matthews, the primary draft choose of basic supervisor Dana Brown’s tenure, simply turned 24 and has 461 Triple-A at-bats, throughout which he is posted a .795 OPS.
Choosing which participant, if any, may gain advantage from extra minor-league seasoning may quickly grow to be essentially the most essential query in setting up this roster. Asked this week whether or not he would really feel comfy taking part in Matthews within the outfield throughout a major-league sport, Espada mentioned he would.
If Matthews makes the roster, that state of affairs may grow to be actuality.
