Brantley day-to-day after getting hit by pitch in first

OAKLAND, Calif. — Michael Brantley exited the Astros’ game against the A’s on Saturday after being hit in the right wrist area by a 90.2 mph fastball. X-rays were negative and, according to the team, Brantley is considered day-to-day.

Brantley appeared in obvious pain after the pitch from A’s starter Cole Irvin, a lefthander with just 451⁄3 innings of major league experience. Astros manager Dusty Baker and head athletic trainer Jeremiah Randall examined Brantley when he reached first base, but the veteran outfielder remained in the game.

Brantley played defense in the bottom of the first, too, before coming out of the game.

Chas McCormick in his place.

Losing Brantley for any length of time would strike a brutal blow to a humming Houston lineup.

Brantley entered Saturday’s game with five extrabase hits in his first nine atbats from the two-hole. His stellar start, coupled with Jose Altuve’s reemergence in the leadoff spot, catalyzed an Astros order that scored 17 runs in the first two games.

entered

The Astros have just four true outfielders on their 40-man roster: Brantley, McCormick, Kyle Tucker and Myles Straw. Aledmys Diaz can play left field if needed, too.

Raley still dealing with back issues

Reliever Brooks Raley is still battling back tightness that dates back to spring training, but the southpaw insisted on Saturday he’s available if the Astros need him.

“It’s kind of something that we’ve been keeping an eye on,” Raley, an Uvalde alumnus who pitched at Texas A&M, said. “I obviously had a good spring and just came out of there a little banged up. We’re trying to overcome it a bit, but I felt good yesterday.”

Raley only recorded one out during a 14-pitch appearance in Friday’s 9-5 win against the A’s.

Pitching coach Brent Strom, Baker and Randall visited Raley in the middle of his outing.

After a conversation among the group, Raley threw two warmup pitches and stayed in the game. Chad Pinder hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run against him, prompting Baker to remove him for Joe Smith.

Raley threw 10 cutters and two four-seam fastballs at an average of 89 and 91 mph, respectively.

Bregman gets day off for hamstring

Alex Bregman’s buildup from an offseason hamstring injury continued Saturday, when he did not start the Astros’ third game of the season.

Bregman started and hit a home run during each of Houston’s first two games, but the plan always called for him to sit the bench on Saturday.

Aledmys Díaz started at third base in Bregman’s absence.

Expect a similar tactic early in the season from Baker, who plans to be extra cautious with Bregman, Michael Brantley and Yordan Alvarez in games that get out of hand.