Brantley would love an All-Star return to Cleveland

NEW YORK — Though Michael Brantley is adamant he pays no attention to the All-Star balloting, the outfielder acknowledged Saturday that returning to Cleveland for the Midsummer Classic would be “beyond special.”

Before signing a two-year free-agent deal with the Astros this offseason, Brantley, 32, played 10 seasons with the Indians, garnering three All-Star appearances. He was one of seven Astros who advanced into the “Starters Election” on Friday.

The top three vote-getters among outfielders will start the July 9 game at Progressive Field, a ballpark with which Brantley is intimately familiar.

“To go back to somewhere where I basically grew up, raised my family and spent all my career until this year, it would be beyond special,” Brantley said. “If that moment comes, we’ll celebrate it.”

Brantley entered Saturday’s game against the Yankees with a .314 average — highest of any American League outfielder — and trailed only Whit Merrifield for the lead in hits. Brantley’s 31 multi-hit games are the most of any major leaguer.

“I really try to stay focused on the day in and day out activities and doing whatever it takes to win a baseball game,” Brantley said. “I hear the rumors of the All-Star voting, but I really just try to stay focused on the task at hand, being a good teammate and doing whatever I can to win a baseball game.”

The Astros do not visit Cleveland until after the All-Star break. Should Brantley be elected a starter, it would be his first trip back while wearing a different uniform.

At the end of All-Star preliminary voting, Brantley trailed only Mike Trout and teammate George Springer among outfielders. The numbers are reset for the Starters Election, which begins Wednesday. All three starting Astros outfielders — Brantley, Springer and right fielder Josh Reddick — made the Starters Election.

“It shows how hard we work every day as an outfield group,” Brantley said. “We play the game hard, play the game the right way and there’s a lot of talent on this team. We all know that. To be beside them every day and see how hard they work really makes me want to be a better teammate and better player.”

Altuve takes crack in the leadoff role

Slumps sometimes require shakeups.

A.J. Hinch had one on Saturday as the Astros sought to end their skid. The manager slotted Jose Altuve in the leadoff spot against the Yankees and bumped Alex Bregman back to the twohole where he is most comfortable.

In eight starts as the Astros’ leadoff hitter, Bregman went 5-for-29 with three home runs and eight strikeouts. An 0-for-5 showing during Friday’s 4-1 loss preceded Hinch’s decision, one the manager hopes is only temporary, assuming George Springer stays on track for a Tuesday return.

“It’s the same hitters hitting in a different order, but sometimes you just have to change for the sake of change and give the lineup a different look,” Hinch said. “Jose’s obviously very confident, and he’s gotten a couple hits. Alex in the two-hole has been very good, so it’s no more complicated than that. Sometimes to shake things up — even if it’s a small shakeup — is important.”

In Springer’s 26-game absence, no Astro has excelled in the leadoff spot. Josh Reddick went just 4-for-29 in seven starts.

Smith, McHugh excel during rehab stints

Two rehabbing Astros relievers threw for Class AA Corpus Christi on Friday night, but only one is close to a return to major league action.

Sidearmer Joe Smith struck out the side on 17 pitches during the seventh inning of the Hooks’ 3-0 win over the Springfield Cardinals. One inning later, Collin McHugh retired the two hitters he faced.

McHugh, who went on the injured list with right elbow discomfort on May 18, will pitch again for Corpus Christi on Saturday. The Astros will evaluate him Monday. If that checkup is satisfactory, all indications are McHugh would be activated Tuesday before the series opener against Pittsburgh.

Smith, meanwhile, will require many more appearances. Because he ruptured his Achilles in December and did not appear in a live game until Saturday, Smith’s minor league rehab assignment will mirror a springtraining buildup. He is next scheduled to pitch on either Monday or Tuesday.

Manager A.J. Hinch revealed Saturday that Smith will not factor into the major league bullpen until after the All-Star break, joining Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz among the Astros sidelined until mid-July.

Chandler Rome