Correa breaks 42-year-old club record
CLEVELAND — Refining
Carlos Correa’s defense was a priority during spring training, a somewhat odd fascination for a player with as much acclaim and status.
“For a star player who has done very well in a lot of parts of the game, I love the fact that he’s wanting kind of a small improvement in an area that’s not hardly ever talked about,” manager A.J. Hinch said Friday.
At issue was Correa’s first step, how he readied himself in the seconds before a pitch was delivered and a ball was put into play. Work in spring training alongside bench coach Joe Espada and first-base coach
Alex Cintron sought to get him in better positions to move his 6-4 frame wherever it was required.
“Trying to be quicker when the ball is hit, read swings better and just be ready to move,” Correa said Friday. “Absolutely (it has helped), no doubt.”
Correa’s 60th consecutive errorless game in Friday’s 11-2 win set a club record by a shortstop, breaking the 42-year-old mark held by Roger Metzger.
Correa has not committed an error this season. His last miscue came during a Sept. 19, 2017, game against the White Sox.
“It’s been great to see him invest time and make a full commitment to the defensive side of the game, really from this offseason and into spring training,” Hinch said.
Fisher may begin rehab stint soon
The Astros are hopeful Derek Fisher can begin a rehab assignment “pretty soon” after he’s gradually increased his baseball activities while battling the throat reaction that has limited how much he can eat.
“The sooner the better so that he cannot have a lot of time between his baseball activities,” manager A.J. Hinch said Friday. “The faster that we get him up and running, the better he’ll be from a baseball perspective and then get back to the baseball. We need to make sure he’s back to 100 percent and he’s not there yet.”
Fisher is in Houston, Hinch said, reporting to Minute Maid Park daily where he is “doing a little bit more every day.”
Fisher was placed on the 10-day disabled list May 20 with what the club termed as “gastrointestinal discomfort.” A visit to a specialist determined Fisher had a reaction to medicine that caused his food intake to plummet and weight loss to become noticeable.
The team recalled J.D. Davis in Fisher’s place. Davis has started once since being promoted, drawing three walks in Tuesday’s 11-2 win over the Giants.
Blum returning to the field — briefly
Astros color analyst Geoff Blum will, briefly, be back on the field.
Blum, 45, will hit sixth and play third base during Saturday’s Hall of Fame Legends Game in Cooperstown, N.Y.
His team, the Knucksies, is managed by Rollie Fingers and includes A.J. Pierzynski,
Shane Victorino and Terrence Long, among others. All 30 major league teams sent a representative to the game. Blum, a 14-year veteran of six clubs, will represent the Astros, for whom he played for five seasons and provides color commentary on AT&T Southwest broadcasts.
Blum will return to the booth alongside play-by-play man
Todd Kalas for the Astros’ three-game series against the Yankees beginning Memorial Day. In Blum’s absence, Mike
Stanton will provide color commentary for AT&T’s Friday and Sunday broadcasts in Cleveland. Saturday’s game is nationally televised by Fox.