Gurriel’s return ends brief stint for Perez
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After three games away, Yuli Gurriel returned from the paternity leave list for Sunday’s series finale against the Rays.
On Saturday night, Gurriel tweeted a picture of him holding his newborn son, with a caption reading: “Help me welcome my little hombrecito (small man) Jaylen to our world.”
Gurriel, whose .422 batting average with runners in scoring position coming in led the majors, hit third and played first base in an Astros lineup that’s been thrown awry by Carlos Correa’s back injury and George Springer’s prolonged slump.
“He got a few days off which probably helped him physically,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “It’s amazing when you have a couple things happen, George getting a little bit banged up, Carlos out, Yuli out, how the lineup feels a lot differently and even performs differently. Everybody’s out of their slot, out of their norm in terms of where they are in the lineup.”
In one of the crucial at-bats in the Astros’ 3-2 loss to the Rays, Gurriel grounded out to short with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning, keeping the Astros hitless in the series with runners in scoring position.
Reliever Cionel Perez was optioned back to Class AA Corpus Christi as a corresponding move, ending the 22-yearold lefthander’s first major league call-up after two games. Perez did not pitch in either game for which he was active but warmed up in the bullpen during the eighth inning of Saturday’s loss.
Springer gets most of afternoon off
Still feeling the lingering effects of Saturday’s hard crash onto the artificial turf at Tropicana Field, George Springer missed his second start in three days but did pinch-run during the ninth inning of Sunday’s loss to the Rays.
Springer’s back was “jolted” after he laid out in a full extension to rob Adeiny Hechavarria of a base hit for the third out of Saturday’s eighth inning. The outfielder winced and was slow to get up, though he did make it to the dugout under his own power.
Earlier in the game, Springer could not catch a foul popup that fell into the right-field stands. In pursuit of it, Springer flipped over the short wall and tumbled into the first row of seats — a collision that, at the moment, did not appear to hurt him.
“We feel like after tumbling into the stands — we forget that play — and then he had the jolt at the end after a couple great dives, he’s just a little beat up,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’ll get treatment most of the day.”
The Astros have Monday off, allowing Hinch to play “conservative” with his slumping outfielder.
Springer is hitless in 54 of his last 58 at-bats, a nasty skid that has lowered his OPS 110 points (to .774) since June 10. He struck out three times and reached on an error in Saturday’s game, one day after Hinch gave him a “reset” day in an attempt to rid him of the slump.
Smith completes rehab assignment
Reliever Joe Smith allowed one hit in a scoreless inning for Class AA Corpus Christi on Sunday, the final hurdle he needed to clear before rejoining the Astros in Arlington on Tuesday for their two-game series against the Rangers.
Smith has been on the disabled list since June 10 with right elbow soreness. He threw a 19-pitch inning in Corpus Christi’s game Friday, allowing three singles before notching a strikeout to strand the bases loaded.
Smith’s impending return was the impetus for the Astros’ optioning Cionel Perez back to Class AA on Sunday after Yuli
Gurriel returned from paternity leave. It meant, for one game, the Astros were back to a seven-man bullpen with an extra position player — AJ Reed — on the bench.