Gonzalez day-to-day after getting spiked
Marwin Gonzalez exited Tuesday night’s 6-5, 11-inning win over the A’s in the first inning with contusions in the left wrist and left elbow after he was spiked by Dustin Fowler.
Filling in for Carlos Correa at shortstop, Gonzalez corralled catcher Max Stassi’s throw to nab Fowler trying to steal second base. Fowler led with his spikes, which crashed into Gonzalez’s glove hand.
Gonzalez threw his glove in pain and was immediately tended to by assistant athletic trainer Scott Barringer and manager A.J. Hinch. Gonzalez stayed in the game and completed the half-inning — Jed
Lowrie flew out on the next pitch to end it quickly — but was noticeably favoring his left hand as he came to the dugout. The Astros said Gonzalez is day-to-day. Tyler White replaced Gonzalez in the top of the second, shifting an already lean Astros infield. Alex Bregman moved from third base to shortstop, and Yuli Gurriel, who was at first base, went to third.
Marisnick back as Cole takes leave
The gamut of emotions was visceral.
Jake Marisnick yelled to an adoring crowd after another of his spectacular diving catches in the center-field gap during the eighth inning of Friday’s win over the White Sox. Marisnick played one more inning and descended into the clubhouse.
“You come in and, the next thing you know, you’re going somewhere else,” Marisnick said Tuesday. “It’s part of the business, it happens, and you just put it behind you and keep going.”
He was sent to Class AAA Fresno in favor of uber prospect Kyle Tucker, a move that Marisnick acknowledged on Tuesday was “a little bit” blindsiding. He felt a miserable offensive season beginning to turn, going 11-for-35 (.314) in his last 41 plate appearances with 11 strikeouts.
Still, the organization opted for Tucker, its No. 2 overall prospect who was just finished a torrid June in Class AAA.
“I get the reasoning. We talked about it, and it made sense,” Marisnick said. “It’s never what you want to do, but it’s part of the business. The more you take it as an opportunity (rather) than a setback, the better it is.”
Marisnick never left, though. The Triple-A All-Star break coincided with his demotion, so he was not required to leave Houston. Pitcher Gerrit Cole was placed on the bereavement list Tuesday, and the Astros recalled Marisnick as a corresponding move.
Players placed on the bereavement list must miss at least three games but can not miss more than seven. Manager
A.J. Hinch said Cole’s grandmother died. Hinch does expect the righthander to return to the team for his next start on Saturday against the Tigers.
Until then, Marisnick is back. He started in center field Tuesday and hit ninth against A’s starter Sean Manaea.
“He can help us win. It’s important to have his defense,” Hinch said. “He got caught in a roster crunch for a lot of reasons. He’s a big league player, and he can help us.”
Lowrie delighted to be All-Star sub
Inside his Houston home on Tuesday afternoon, surrounded by his wife, two children and father-in-law, Jed Lowrie was pleased to have his emotional roller coaster come to a halt.
A’s manager Bob Melvin phoned to inform the 34-yearold second baseman of his selection to the American League All-Star team, Lowrie’s first Midsummer Classic invitation in his 11-year career.
He will replace Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres, who is on the disabled list with a hip strain.
That Lowrie was not originally selected over Torres was surprising. Among major league second basemen, Lowrie’s .863 OPS and 89 hits entering Tuesday trailed only AllStar Game starter Jose Altuve. His 62 RBIs were second most among all American League players.
“Let’s just say the last few days have been an emotional roller coaster,” said Lowrie, who splits his offseasons between Houston and Oregon. “I think I was a little surprised I didn’t get it at first and just happy to be a part of it now.”
An Astro in 2012 and 2015, Lowrie will reconnect with Astros manager A.J. Hinch ,a fellow Stanford alumnus whom he played under during Houston’s 2015 wild card season.
“I think he deserved to be on the initial list,” said Hinch, the American League manager. “I’m not happy that Torres was hurt, but I am happy more avenues are opened up for more deserving guys. Watching Jed up close a couple years ago to watching him now across the way, he’s every bit what an All-Star is.”
It’s recognition Lowrie can, at long last, savor.
“I’ve put a lot of time and effort into my craft,” Lowrie said. “And I’ve said this a lot: Getting a chance to go to the All-Star Game would kind of be icing on the cake. Looks like I get to eat some icing on my cake.”