Springer to begin rehab assignment
Houston Astros right fielder George Springer was cleared to begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.
Springer took early batting practice at Target Field on Friday and then was sent back to Texas.
“It’s exciting to head out and to get back out there after a long time of being on the bench,” said Springer, who hasn’t played since he suffered multiple displaced fractures on his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch on July 2.
He will start in right field and probably lead off for the Hooks.
“We got a mapped-out plan where he may play a day, take a day (off ), play a couple of days, take another day off,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’ll have a lot more information as the rehab assignment gets underway.
“It’s hard to tell whether it would take one to three days, three to five days, five to seven days. We’re going to make sure he’s ready to compete at this level before we bring him back, but we don’t want to give away any days when he could help us win up here. We’ll gauge it every day.”
Correa still out: Shortstop Carlos Correa was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Friday with a tender left hamstring.
“Just a little soreness in the hamstring,” Correa said before the Astros opened a three-game series against the Twins at Target Field. “It’s nothing to be worried about.”
Correa said Hinch decided to keep him out of the lineup after he showed up for treatment in the trainer’s room.
“It’s the everyday grind,” he said.
Correa took batting practice indoors Friday, but he hasn’t done any running activities in the past two days.
Correa said he’s optimistic about returning to the lineup Saturday.
September call-ups: By Wednesday, the Astros are likely to have four callups as rosters expand: catcher Max Stassi, righty reliever Josh Fields, outfielder Preston Tucker and a lefty reliever.
Tucker can’t be recalled until Wednesday, technically, but the other three could be added on Tuesday, the first day teams are allowed to carry anyone on their 40-man roster.
A right-handed bat might also come soon, but that’s not definite, and Springer, of course, is on his way back.
“Couple different waves,” Hinch said. “I would expect a couple guys on the first and a couple guys trickle in. ... We’ve got playoffs in Double-A and Triple-A, so we’ll try to balance the value of having guys here vs. continuing their season and staying sharp by playing.
“Most of these guys that come up aren’t going to play regularly or pitch regularly. It’s a kind of case-by-case basis.”
Stassi is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. As for the lefty reliever, Kevin Chapman is on the 40-man roster, and Joe Thatcher is not. But Thatcher has pitched very well since going to Triple-A Fresno and might be returned to the 40-man.