Boo birds out in full force for opener
OAKLAND, Calif. — Requests for a moment of silence prior to the national anthem lasted just seconds. As the two teams turned toward right field to face the flag Thursday night, life for the Astros on the road began in earnest. One man yelled “cheater.” Others joined in, stopping only when the first notes of “The Star-Spangled Banner” bellowed.
The Astros played in front of fans in a regular-season game for the first time since MLB levied penalties for their signstealing scandal during the 2017 season. The pandemic prevented any fans from watching them in 2020. If Thursday was any indication, time has not healed any wounds.
Astros regardless of age or title were booed mercilessly throughout the pregame introductions and their first atbats.
The 12,188 fans in attendance at RingCentral Coliseum focused their ire on Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa — three members of the 2017 team — but did not allow others a pass. After Bregman fielded a clean ground ball to retire Mark Canha in the first, one fan responded by asking him “how it felt to be a cheater.”
“I really don’t know. I really don’t know,” Correa said when asked what he felt the reception would be. “It truly doesn’t matter. We’re here to play baseball on the road, and we’re going to focus on that. We can’t wait to get home to Minute Maid and hear our great fans once again, because we missed them.”
Tucker hits cleanup as Alvarez bats sixth
The Astros’ lineup needs little tinkering, but manager Dusty Baker deliberated about the placement of Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker deep into Wednesday night.
When he wrote the lineup out Thursday, Baker slotted Tucker in the cleanup spot and Alvarez two spots below in the six-hole. Carlos Correa was sandwiched between the two lefthanded hitters and afforded the lineup some balance, but Baker intimated the order could switch as Alvarez progresses.
“I thought about putting Yordan in a cleanup spot,” Baker said. “But the fact that he hadn’t played in a while (and) he came on late in the spring and the fact that I’d rather have him drive in runs than run the bases and score runs, I put that on the young legs of Tucker.”
A slow buildup after arthroscopic knee surgery allowed Alvarez to play in only 10 Grapefruit League games and take 29 at-bats. Alvarez insists both of his knees are healthy and that he feels 100 percent, but Baker is exercising extreme caution until he sees Alvarez pass some certain benchmarks. The skipper said he has yet to see Alvarez slide into a base.
How he passes that test — coupled with playing in consecutive games — will determine when and if Baker moves him up in the batting order.
“At some point in time, I’ll probably switch them if I see how Yordan is moving,” Baker said. “Right now, I hate to take him out late in a game and then I’ve got a big hole in the middle of my lineup.”
Valdez among 4 arms placed on injured list
In a string of procedural moves required to set their 26-man opening-day roster, the Astros placed four pitchers on the injured list Thursday but could welcome at least one back to the bullpen later this month.
Righthanders Austin Pruitt, Josh James and Andre Scrubb joined lefthander Framber Valdez on the 10-day injured list. All of their stints are retroactive to March 29.
Neither Pruitt nor James will return to the team in April, general manager James Click said Thursday. Pruitt underwent elbow surgery last September to repair a hairline fracture. A month later, James had surgery to repair a labral tear in his right hip. Both men reported to the Astros’ spring training facility within the last few weeks and are continuing their rehab.
Pitching coach Brent Strom said Scrubb should return to the major league team “prior to mid-April.” Scrubb exited a Grapefruit League game on March 19 with shoulder soreness. Tests revealed no structural damage.
Valdez’s prognosis remains somewhat a mystery. He remains at the Astros’ spring training facility and is able to work out but has not resumed throwing a baseball. Valdez has not pitched since fracturing his left ring finger March 2, making it highly unlikely he could contribute to the major league team any time soon.
“He is healing very well,” Click said of Valdez. “We’re very excited about what we’ve seen so far, and we’re hoping to get him back sooner rather than later.”
The Astros placed Valdez on the 10-day IL only because they had no choice. Teams cannot utilize the 60-day IL unless they are adding or reinstating a player to their 40-man roster. Houston’s 40-man roster is full, but a spot will be needed once reliever Pedro Baez is ready to return from the COVID-related injured list.