Hinch to keep struggling Reddick in lineup
BALTIMORE — Though he has been mired in a miserable rut since the start of July, Josh Reddick is in no danger of losing any playing time, manager A.J. Hinch said Friday.
After spending most of the early season hovering around .300, Reddick is slashing only .198/250/.264 over his last 100 plate appearances. Just five of his 18 hits during that span have garnered extra bases. His OPS has dropped more than 60 points since June 30
The 32-year-old corner outfielder normally occupies a spot toward the bottom of Hinch’s batting order. He hit ninth on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles but has made a majority of his starts in either the six- or seven-hole.
Reddick bemoaned his pullhappy, power approach for most of last season. He came into 2019 content to beat the shift and take the opposite-field singles many teams were giving him.
Entering play Friday, Reddick hit 35.8 percent of his balls in play to the pull side — almost a 10 percent drop from last season — and went the other way with 25.1 percent of his contact.
Neither Reddick’s average exit velocity (87.1 mph) or his hardhit rate (31.1 percent) is of grave concern. His 28.4 percent chase rate is the highest of his career, though.
“I always go to pitch selection or I’ll go to a little bit of how hard he swings and how hard he chases hits. He’s not using the opposite field as much,” Hinch said. “There’s little things that he could do that he hasn’t done for the last month or so.
“He’s not in any danger of losing playing time. I’m comfortable with him as a real threat, and I expect him to finish the season really well.”
Pressly returns from injured list
The Astros activated All-Star setup man Ryan Pressly from the injured list prior to Friday’s series opener against the Orioles.
Pressly spent 13 days on the injured list while combating right knee soreness. The righthander was struck by a comebacker during an appearance against the Los Angeles Angels on July 18 but tried to pitch through the discomfort.
After two painful appearances, Pressly was placed on the injured list on July 27. Manager A.J. Hinch said Friday there will be no hesitancy to place Pressly back in a leverage situation.
“He’s still one of the best relievers in baseball,” Hinch said. “He’ll be right back in his normal role.”
Pressly threw in one minor league game during his rehabilitation, tossing a scoreless first inning for Class AA Corpus Christi on Tuesday. He struck out two of the three hitters he faced.
Rookie catcher Garrett Stubbs was optioned to Class AAA Round Rock after Wednesday’s game to clear a spot for Pressly on the 25-man roster. Stubbs was summoned as insurance on Tuesday, when starter Robinson Chirinos was temporarily unavailable with a sore left shoulder.
Peacock to pitch twice in Class AAA
Brad Peacock is scheduled to pitch in back-to-back games for Class AAA Round Rock this weekend in Albuquerque, perhaps the final step in his twomonth recovery from a shoulder issue.
Peacock will throw one inning Saturday and Sunday. Afterward, he will join the Astros in Chicago for further evaluation and ultimately a decision on whether he is ready to be activated.
“We’ll know a lot more after his outings,” A.J. Hinch said. “There’s a lot he has to do between now and then. Once we see him, we’ll see if he needs more outings or if he’s good to go.”
Peacock was placed on the injured list June 28 after making 15 starts. He suffered a setback after the All-Star break and now is primed to return as a reliever.
His return will create a roster crunch in the Astros’ veteran bullpen. Only closer Roberto Osuna, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski have minor league options. Because the team is in a 17-day stretch without a day off, keeping an eight-man bullpen is mandatory.