AROUND THE HORN
Astros:
Astros star Jose Altuve is moving a step closer to returning from a broken right thumb. Altuve was set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday. The eight-time All-Star and 2017 AL MVP broke his thumb when he was hit by a pitch playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. He had surgery March 22, and general manager Dana Brown said after the operation he’d be out at least eight weeks.
Mets: Mets right-hander Max Scherzer is expected to start Sunday or Monday against the Nationals after throwing a bullpen session Friday. Scherzer, who was scratched from his start Tuesday against Cincinnati because of neck spasms, threw about 30 pitches before the opener of a fourgame series against one of his former teams. “That was encouraging,” manager Buck Showalter said. “The earliest he would pitch is Sunday. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. He had a pretty extensive work day, which is something he hasn’t been able to do. I could just tell by his face he’s upbeat about it.” The three-time Cy Young Award winner has pitched only once since a 10-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s prohibition on sticky substances during an April 19 game against the Dodgers. Scherzer yielded six runs in 3 ⅓ innings against the Tigers on May 3 and is 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA in five starts. Scherzer said he has experienced neck spasms throughout his career and has regularly done neck exercises as a preventative measure.
Rockies: Rockies righthander Antonio Senzatela will miss at least two months with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament. Senzatela, however, avoided the same fate as fellow starter Germán Márquez, who had season-ending Tommy John surgery on Friday. “The news is favorable, considering,” Rockies manager Bud Black said Friday before the Rockies faced the Phillies. “In these cases you always sort of expect the worst. But this is actually OK.” Senzatela was pulled with two outs in the third inning Wednesday at Pittsburgh after experiencing forearm tightness. His velocity had dipped in only his second start since returning after tearing the ACL in his left knee on Aug. 18 at St. Louis. “You could tell it wasn’t coming out like it came out in New York,” Black said. Earlier this month, the Rockies lost Márquez to a torn UCL. Black said Senzatela wouldn’t pick up a ball for at least three weeks. “He should be able to pitch again this year,” Black said. Royals: Royals catcher and seven-time All-Star Salvador Perez was scratched from the Royals’ lineup Friday due to what manager Matt Quatraro described as “a little bit of blurry vision.” Quatraro said Perez already had received treatment from a specialist. “It’s just a matter of time until it resolves,” Quatraro said before the Royals played the Brewers. “It’s nothing long term or serious.” Perez had been in the original lineup as the DH.
Rays: Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday with a right flexor strain, one day after tossing seven scoreless innings in a win over the Yankees. Rasmussen is hopeful he can avoid a third Tommy John surgery. He is 4-2 with a 2.62 ERA in eight starts this season, helping the Rays roll to the best record in baseball.