Correa takes swings, hopes to be back today
After testing his sore right hand with swings in the batting cage Wednesday afternoon, shortstop Carlos Correa expressed confidence he would return to the Astros’ lineup Thursday.
Correa missed a third consecutive game Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Angels but increased his pregame activity compared to the previous few days. He took about 25 swings in the indoor batting cage at Minute Maid Park and fielded ground balls at shortstop before the game.
“It felt pretty good,” he said of the swings. “I’m feeling really confident for (Thursday) and ready to go.”
Correa said he was available to pinch-hit if needed Wednesday night. He added he was a little sore but that it was nothing he could not tolerate.
“I should be in there (Thursday),” he said.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch was less committal.
“We’ll see,” Hinch said. “That obviously means he shows up to the ballpark a little bit better. He’s got some questions to answer. Things are pointing in the right direction.”
Correa hasn’t played since Saturday, when Oakland Athletics righthander Frankie Montas hit him on the hand with a 94 mph fastball in the ninth inning.
In his 12 games before the injury, he batted just .234 with one extra-base hit — his home run on opening day.
Hinch elevates Aoki in lineup
Astros manager A.J. Hinch moved left fielder Nori Aoki out of his customary nine hole in the batting order Wednesday and inserted him in the No. 7 spot.
The lefthanded-hitting Aoki came into Wednesday batting .355 in 31 atbats and having compiled multiple hits in four of the previous five games.
He leapfrogged the righthanded-hitting Yuli Gurriel, who batted eighth Wednesday. The slumping Marwin Gonzalez fell to batting ninth in the order.
“He’s swinging the bat pretty well, and the choice was really hit him seventh or hit him ninth and flip-flop with Marwin,” Hinch said of Aoki. “Marwin’s had a little bit of a rough go of it. The matchup against (Angels righthander JC Ramirez) slightly favors Aoki. But I just want him to get a few more at-bats against these righthanded pitchers.”
Odds and ends
This weekend against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Astros will face righthander Alex Cobb on Friday, lefthander Blake Snell on Saturday, and righthander Matt Andriese on Sunday. …
George Springer played in his 202nd straight game Wednesday, matching Jose Altuve’s consecutive games streak that ended in August. …
With Carlos Correa still sidelined and Carlos Beltran getting a day off Wednesday, Brian McCann batted cleanup for the first time in an Astros uniform. He also has batted fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth this season. …
Pitching prospect David Paulino (bone bruise in elbow) has progressed to throwing off the mound in bullpen sessions at the Astros’ spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., manager A.J. Hinch said. …
Asked about his extremely neat handwriting on Astros lineup cards, Hinch joked Wednesday he’s available during the offseason to write out wedding invitations for fans.