After scary collision, Maldonado sparkles in return
NEW YORK — Two days after the scariest scene of his major league career, Martín Maldonado returned to the Astros’ starting lineup in a big way in Thursday’s series finale against the Yankees.
Maldonado sustained a bruised trapezius muscle but tested negative for a concussion after a violent collision with Yankees second baseman Rougned Odor on Tuesday. On Thursday, he went 3-for-4 with his first homer of the season in the Astros’ 7-4 win.
Maldonado acknowledged being “stiff ” Thursday morning but insisted on returning to work. He wound up collecting two singles off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, then picking up his first RBIs of the year on a two-run eighthinning homer off Justin Wilson, padding what had been a 5-4 lead.
“I take a lot of pride in that,” Maldonado said of being durable. “Anything can happen when you play. As a catcher, you’re never going to be 100 percent, bodywise. You get beat up. As long as you can move and still do what you have to do, that’s when you realize you can be out there for your team.”
Maldonado remained down at home plate for several minutes following Tuesday’s collision. A bouncing relay throw from first baseman Yuli Gurriel brought Maldonado into Odor’s path. DJ
LeMahieu’s bat lay between Maldonado and Odor, preventing the infielder from sliding into home.
“It’s part of the game,” Maldonado said. “I was trying to make a play. He was trying to score. I kind of saw the bat was in the middle, too, so it was kind of hard for him to slide.”
Odor’s left thigh knocked Maldonado’s mask off and left him clearly dazed for a few minutes. The Yankees placed Odor on the injured list with a left knee injury Wednesday.
“It was probably the scariest play I’ve ever been involved in in my big league career,” said Maldonado, whose three hits Thursday raised his batting average from .091 to .129.
Odorizzi will require rehab stint in minors
According to manager Dusty Baker, Jake Odorizzi “felt great” after a 25-pitch bullpen session Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, but the righthander will not return to the Astros’ rotation as soon as initially projected.
Odorizzi and the organization originally expressed optimism that his right pronator muscle strain would sideline him only for the requisite 10 days on the injured list. General manager James
Click even said last week Odorizzi may not need a minor league rehab stint before returning.
The timeline has changed. Click and Baker said this week that Odorizzi will need at least one minor league start. Baker said Thursday that Odorizzi will throw another bullpen session before he’s sent to an affiliate.
Sugar Land cruises to victory in opener
Six Sugar Land players had multiple hits as the Skeeters won their season opener 9-4 at Albuquerque. Shortstop Alex De Goti, who was up briefly with the Astros this year, and catcher Michael Papierski had three hits each, while designated hitter Ronnie Dawson, first baseman Lorenzo Quintana, center fielder Jose Siri and left fielder Jake Meyers had two apiece.
C.J. Hinojosa’s RBI double in the top of the second opened the scoring for Sugar Land, which never trailed. Meyers capped a four-run third with an RBI single and drove in two more runs with a double in the sixth.
Odds and ends
The Astros signed righthander
Ryan Eades to a minor league deal and assigned him to Class AAA Sugar Land. A second-round pick by the Twins in 2013, Eades, 29, made his major league debut in 2019 and made eight appearances. He has a 4.18 minor league ERA in seven seasons. … Utilityman Abraham Toro is starting the season on the minor league injured list with a strained right oblique. He is with Class AAA Sugar Land. … Reliever Enoli
Paredes began a minor league rehab assignment with Class AA Corpus Christi on Wednesday, throwing a scoreless 15-pitch inning.