Sipp’s back stiffness not considered serious issue
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Tony Sipp’s back stiffness sidelined him Sunday, but the Astros don’t consider it an issue that will affect the struggling lefthanded reliever’s status for the opening-day roster.
“I think it’s kind of standard, end-of-camp back stiffness,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “It hasn’t been indicated to me that it’s anything more than day-to-day.”
Sipp was not available to speak with reporters Sunday, according to a team spokesman. After being scratched from his scheduled relief appearance Saturday, he was held out again Sunday. Hinch said he was hopeful Sipp would be available to pitch Monday. The pitcher’s name was listed with a question mark next to it on the team’s master pitching schedules for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Sipp, 33, has pitched poorly this spring, having allowed three runs on eight hits and five walks in five Grapefruit League innings and requiring 38 pitches to record four outs in a recent minor league outing. Unless he improves, the Astros are poised to enter the season without a reliable lefthander in the bullpen for a second straight year.
Guaranteed $6 million this season in the second year of the three-year deal he signed in December 2015, Sipp is coming off a career-worst season in which he had a 4.95 ERA in 432⁄3 innings, his fewest since 2013.
Game 4 start has Musgrove excited
Joe Musgrove will start the Astros’ fourth game of the regular season April 6 against the Seattle Mariners, with Mike Fiers starting the following night against the Kansas City Royals, manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday.
Hinch said he has yet to determine which of Lance McCullers or Charlie Morton will start the second game of the season after Dallas Keuchel pitches opening day. The decision essentially boils down to which starter will be tasked with facing the same team, the Mariners, in each of his first two turns.
For Musgrove, 24, this will mark his first time on an opening-day roster. He debuted with the Astros last August and pitched to a 4.06 ERA over his first 62 major league innings.
“I’m really excited,” he said after pitching five innings of one-run ball against the Washington Nationals on Sunday. “A lot of hard work went into it and a lot of preparation. I’m just really excited to be able to call my family and share that with them. This means just as much to them as it does to me.”
Hinch informed Musgrove of the news in the middle of last week but told him to keep it quiet for the time being. The pitcher told only his father, Mark. His mother, Diane, was in the dark until Sunday.
“I called my pops and told him I was really excited to tell him, but I said, ‘You’ve got to hold off from telling Mom. I don’t want her to get overexcited and throw something online that shouldn’t be up there yet,’ ” Musgrove said with a smile. “She loves to stay involved with the Twitter and the news updates. But I finally get to call her today and tell her the news.”
Catcher Heineman dealt to Brewers
The Astros traded minor league catcher Tyler Heineman to the Milwaukee Brewers for a player to be named or cash.
Heineman, 25, was the Astros’ eighth-round draft pick in 2012. He spent last season at Class AAA, where he batted .259 with a .696 OPS in 239 at-bats, and wouldn’t have found much playing time behind Juan Centeno and Max Stassi if assigned to Fresno this season.
Odds and ends
Carlos Correa returned to the Astros’ lineup Sunday for the first time since representing Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Correa went 0-for-3 with a walk in the Astros’ 5-1 win over the Nationals after missing Saturday’s game because he was sick. …
Luke Gregerson pitched a perfect seventh inning in his first appearance since returning from the World Baseball Classic. The veteran righthander will pitch Monday in a minor league game, with the Astros having him face only lefthanded hitters. …
Outfield prospect Derek Fisher was added to the list of players who will accompany the Astros to Houston for Thursday and Friday’s exhibition games against the Cubs before beginning his season with Class AAA Fresno.