Workouts start for 5 in protocol
SEATTLE — The five Astros players sidelined due to health and safety protocols have been cleared to resume workouts, but there is still no timetable for when they might rejoin the team.
Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Martin Maldonado and Robel Garcia are now permitted to work out individually, according to Astros manager Dusty Baker, but ambiguity remains about where and what they can do.
“I’ve talked to them every single day,” shortstop Carlos Correa said. “They want to come back and play. They want to come back and play as soon as possible, but you have to follow the protocols, whatever that is. Obviously, they want to be here. They want to be a part of the team. They’re feeling good — they’re testing negative — so hopefully we get them back soon.”
Baker acknowledged Saturday the possibility that none of the five will return until the team starts its homestand Thursday. General manager James Click said on the team’s pregame radio show it remains “a very active conversation with Major League Baseball.”
Click said the team has “a lot of questions” concerning its continued play after the Minnesota Twins were shut down through Monday due to a rash of positive cases. The Twins have four known positives, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters, and it is unknown how many others are caught up in contact tracing. The Twins’ road games Saturday and Sunday against the Angels and Monday against the Athletics were postponed.
“There are nuances between the various situations in terms of threats and concerns about further spread in the clubhouse, and that necessitated shutting things down,” Click told the radio show.
McCullers may miss next start
Although Lance McCullers Jr. continues to recover from an illness, the Astros are still unsure if he will make his scheduled start Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. Jose Urquidy will start Wednesday’s game at Coors Field.
“We’re wrestling between two or three guys, but we don’t want to announce that yet,” manager Dusty Baker said of his Tuesday starter. “We’re just waiting to see how his breathing is and how his physical being is period. See what his endurance is like. You’re always apprehensive to take any real chances going into that altitude.”
McCullers pitched against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday while “sick as a dog” and, according to Baker, required IV fluids after the game. McCullers said he received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine a few days before his outing and “got hit pretty hard” by some of the side effects.
Baker has mentioned McCullers’ labored breathing in the last few days, but it’s otherwise unclear what symptoms the righthander is exhibiting. The Astros did not make McCullers available for interviews Sunday despite numerous requests.
If McCullers cannot pitch, Luis Garcia and Brandon Bielak are the most logical options to fill in. Cristian Javier, who is at the team’s alternate training site, also could be a possibility.