McCormick gets new shot to show he belongs
NEW YORK — Sunday morning at Yankee Stadium gave Chas McCormick a sobering glimpse of his current standing in the Astros’ organization.
The team planned to activate shortstop Jeremy Peña from the injured list before that afternoon’s game. Among the position players in Houston’s clubhouse, only McCormick and J.J. Matijevic had minor league options.
Matijevic is a corner infielder. Swapping one infielder for another seemed the most logical decision. But the Astros optioned McCormick — their opening day center fielder — to Class AAA Sugar Land, signaling their faith in Jake Meyers as their everyday center fielder and some unhappiness with McCormick’s performance across the first 172 plate appearances of his season.
“I was a little surprised,” McCormick said Tuesday. “Obviously it was between me and J.J. J.J.’s been playing great, but I had a feeling it also could have been me. I wasn’t going in there completely safe … one of us had to go. I was a little surprised, but as the day went on, it kind of made sense. We both had an even chance of staying here or going down.”
Manager Dusty Baker rationalized the decision by citing more balance on his bench — Matijevic is a lefthanded hitter while McCormick is a righty — and Matijevic’s ability to play left field. McCormick can man all three outfield positions with above-average defense and is a more proven major league hitter. But neither attribute kept his roster spot secure.
“It’s been a lot of emotions,” McCormick said. “I’ve just been strong about it.”
McCormick spent Sunday and Monday at the team’s Manhattan hotel. Players who are optioned have three days before they must report to their minor league affiliate. McCormick was scheduled for a flight back to Texas on Tuesday night, but the Astros told him not to take it after Michael Brantley’s right shoulder problems forced him onto the injured list.
Major league rules mandate a 10-day stay at the minor leagues after a player is optioned, but that can be disregarded if he is taking the place of a player on the injured list.
McCormick’s demotion lasted two days. He started in left field and batted seventh in Tuesday’s game against the Mets. Before the game, McCormick maintained his customary carefree way inside the team’s clubhouse, cracking smiles and slapping hands with teammates.
“Obviously I was upset. You want to be here with this team. This team knows how to win, so there’s nothing better than that,” McCormick said.
“I can’t control it. I have to perform better. That’s kind of it. Obviously it sucked, but it made sense. Whatever’s best for the team. Hearing the news that day, in Yankee Stadium, on a Sunday, it didn’t feel good. I just tried to decompress a little bit, take it for what it is and be OK about it.”
Given what Sunday’s decision revealed about the organization’s thinking, McCormick might only be in the major leagues for the duration of Brantley’s time on the injured list. McCormick said both Baker and other Astros officials told him he needed to play more consistently in his time at Sugar Land. Baker mentioned McCormick “getting his stroke back.”
McCormick had a 95 OPS+ in the first 172 plate appearances of his season, five points below league average. He slugged .394 with 14 extra-base hits, but he saw his batting average dip to .219.
McCormick chased outside the strike zone 36.5 percent of the time — a rate more than 10 points higher than his rate last season. McCormick swung 53.5 percent of the time, too, after swinging at a 46.6 percent clip last year.
“I have to be better around the plate and around the zone,” McCormick said. “Kind of have a plan, kind of have an idea. Do my homework before the game, not just swing and miss or swing out of the zone. To make this ballclub better, I need to have a better plan up there, have a better approach. Be a smarter hitter. Be a big league hitter, not just swinging, swinging, swinging.”
A better overall offensive approach could separate McCormick from his two primary competitors for a spot on the major league team: Matijevic and Jose Siri. Matijevic is a veteran of just 16 plate appearances and already has eight strikeouts. Siri is a strikeout machine, too.
McCormick has a path to hit his way back onto the Astros’ bench. And as the Aug. 2 trade deadline looms, McCormick could benefit from a sustained run of success — be it in Sugar Land or Houston — as general manager James Click considers ways to improve the team.
In Houston, it’s clear Meyers will take almost all of the time in center field, and the team feels Mauricio Dubón is an adequate backup for him. Defensive metrics suggest Dubón’s best position is center field. Perhaps more importantly, Dubón has a career 17.6 percent strikeout rate.
“Maybe that was going to help me out as I went down there, have a better idea of the zone,” McCormick said, “but now I’m back up here. So it’s time to play my butt off.”