AL WEST
Houston Astros
Collin McHugh is compensating for lost time with an eye toward the playoffs.
The Astros nearly reached the 100-game mark before McHugh recovered from a sore elbow and was able to contribute. Now that he’s back and pitching well, McHugh is peeking at the postseason as the Astros maintain a commanding lead in the American League West.
“I don’t have the luxury of having a full season behind me to kind of find my groove and get into the swing of things,” McHugh said. “Every start down the stretch for me is a practice in intensity to be ready to pitch in the playoffs, to be able to pitch in October.”
The right-hander had a 3.63 ERA through his first seven starts and spun six impressive innings both times in wins against the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels. And he did it without his best stuff.
“You never know what you’re going out there with,” he said. “You might have a bazooka. You might have a pocket knife. But you’ve got to go out fighting with whatever you have.”
The Astros’ home series this week against the Texas Rangers and New York Mets will move to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., because of flooding in Houston from Hurricane Harvey, the Associated Press reported.
Carlos Correa (thumb) continued to play for Class AAA Fresno as he got closer to his return. He has been out a month.
Los Angeles Angels
Jesse Chavez has found his niche in the Angels bullpen.
Chavez had a rough go as a starter and was replaced in the rotation when his ERA headed toward 6.00 through 21 outings. When Tyler Skaggs returned and Chavez was demoted to the bullpen, he initially didn’t agree with the move.
“I think he kind of caught his breath a little bit,” manager Mike
Scioscia said. “I think he looks great. He looks crisp and refreshed. He’ll be a big part of our ’pen.”
Chavez was a reliever for the
Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers last year but was penciled in as a starter after the Angels signed him in the offseason.
“He’s been in the bullpen before, so he is comfortable with it,” Scioscia said.
In his first six relief outings, Chavez allowed one run on eight hits over 11 innings.
Garrett Richards (biceps) was scheduled for a rehab start for Class AAA Salt Lake (Salt Lake City) on Aug. 30 after pitching well in a simulated game. Scioscia hopes Richards can return before the season ends and pitch as a starter in an abbreviated role.
Yunel Escobar (strained muscle in right side) also was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment this week.
Vladimir Guerrero, a ninetime All-Star who was the 2004 AL MVP while with the Angels, was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.
Oakland Athletics
Long before the A’s had the muscle of the Bash Brothers, Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, they had Reggie Jackson. Later on, Jason Giambi would swing for the fences with regularity.
But none of those sluggers, when with the A’s, did what Khris
Davis is on the verge of accomplishing: 40 home runs in consecutive seasons.
Davis began the week with 36 homers and didn’t appear to be slowing down in the power department as the A’s finish another disappointing season.
That’s quite a feat for a player who didn’t exceed 27 homers for the Milwaukee Brewers in his first two full major league seasons.
“They come and go in bunches,” Davis said. “As long as I make those streaks last longer than the bad streaks, I’ll be all right.”
It’s almost time for September call-ups, and the rebuilding A’s are eager to look at as many players as possible. Josh Phegley and left-hander Sam Moll are joining the team this weekend. Among the others eventually headed to Oakland are Renato Nunez and Franklin Barreto.
With Rajai Davis traded to the Boston Red Sox, Mark Can
ha will see playing time in center field, especially against left-handers. Chad Pinder also will get a look there.
Seattle Mariners
Jarrod Dyson is nearing his return to the Mariners, possibly as early as this week.
The Mariners have missed the speedy center fielder’s stellar defense and what he brings to the running game with a team-high 28 stolen bases.
“I’m just baby-stepping it,” said Dyson, who leads American League outfielders with 11 assists. “If I can run down some fly balls, I should be good to go.”
Dyson, who hasn’t played since Aug. 16 because of a strained right groin, is on track to steal 30 bases for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
The Mariners held their breath when All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano injured his hamstring and was held out of the lineup for two games. But it appears Cano, who returned to the lineup Aug. 27, will avoid the disabled list.
“We need his bat in the lineup,” manager Scott Servais said. “He’s a big part of what we do offensively.”
Two key members of the rotation played catch Aug. 27, but neither is expected to return soon. James Paxton (pectoral) and Felix Hernandez (shoulder) are headed in the right direction, but the progress is slow. Though Hernandez is considered slightly ahead of Paxton, both are weeks away from contributing.
Texas Rangers
Joey Gallo could return from the disabled list this week after an unsettling collision with pitcher
Matt Bush when both converged on a pop fly.
Gallo, who was third in the American League with 35 home runs when he was injured, got the worst of the pileup and suffered a broken nose and concussion. He was making strides and appeared close to returning to the lineup.
“My mind is clear, and I feel good,” Gallo said. “It won’t take long. It may take a game or two of seeing pitching.”
Carlos Gomez returned after missing time because of a shoulder issue, but his grip on the center-field job was in question with Delino DeShields stepping up. In 13 consecutive starts when Gomez was idle, DeShields hit .308 with eight walks and six stolen bases and scored 10 runs.
“Delino has played extremely well and made a case to play every day,” manager Jeff Banister said. “We’ll see if we can’t find the right mix. We need to get Gomez out there and get him going.”
“This was a big goal for me. I just tried to keep going and save every game. This team is happy, and we’ll keep rolling.”
Seattle’s Edwin Diaz after becoming the ninth Mariner in franchise history to save 30 games