Tucker to play in World Baseball Classic
Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker will play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic next March, Major League Baseball announced Saturday.
Tucker joins a starstudded Team USA outfield that includes former MVPs Mike Trout,
Bryce Harper and Mookie Betts. Baltimore Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins has also committed to play.
“It's awesome. A lot of these guys that are going to play for other countries — their home countries — I'm sure they kind of feel the same way,” Tucker said. “It's a great honor and a huge opportunity to play for Team USA. It will be a lot of fun. I'm really excited to have the opportunity to go there and play against a bunch of other really good teams.”
The 25-year-old Tucker earned his first American League All-Star selection this season and is on the verge of a 20/20 campaign. Tucker entered Saturday's game against the Orioles with 22 home runs and 19 stolen bases. Only nine other players in Astros history have produced a 20/20 season.
Team USA will open pool play on March 11 at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Its pool includes teams from Colombia, Mexico and Canada. Team USA won the last World Baseball Classic in 2017.
Tucker is, thus far, the only Astro to pledge his services to the American team. Third baseman Alex Bregman — who played in the 2017 WBC — is a candidate to join Tucker on Team USA.
Houston first-base coach Omar López is managing the Venezuelan team, for which Jose Altuve has already committed to play. Bench coach Joe Espada is the leading candidate to manage the Puerto Rican team, while former Astros minor league coach Rodney Linares is the Dominican Republic's skipper.
Hensley debuts at shortstop
David Hensley's long wait ended Saturday.
Eight days after the Astros summoned him from Class AAA Sugar Land, Hensley made his major league debut against the Orioles, batting eighth and starting at shortstop.
“It's everything I've dreamed of since I was little,” Hensley said of seeing his name on the lineup card. “This is an exciting day.”
Hensley said manager Dusty Baker told him a few days in advance that he would debut on Saturday. Both of Hensley's parents attended Saturday's game, along with his sister and a few of his high school friends.
“Obviously, there's some nerves there, (but) it's another day and another game,” Hensley said. “These guys have been real helpful, getting to know everybody and seeing how they go about their days. It's been exciting, man, but I'm sure I'll get a little nervous when I get out there on the field for the first time. It's the same game, so I'm ready to get after it.”
The Astros selected Hensley in the 26th round of the 2018 draft, and as a college senior, he received just a $1,000 signing bonus. His rise to a major league lineup represents a massive win for the Astros' heralded player development department.
Hensley is on the roster due to his defensive versatility around the infield and Aledmys Díaz's groin injury. Hensley can play all four infield positions but is most comfortable up the middle at either second base or shortstop.
Chas McCormick's injured pinky finger forced Mauricio Dubón — the team's backup shortstop — to play center field Saturday and sent Hensley to short.
Mancini analyzes the top rookies
Few can analyze the American League Rookie of the Year race better than Trey Mancini .He witnessed the emergence of one candidate and now admires the resilience of another.
Mancini drew one distinct parallel between Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña and Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, two 24-year-old rookies trying to establish themselves amid huge expectations.
“When you meet them both, they don't strike you as rookies. I wasn't here at the beginning of the season for Jeremy's debut or anything, but I'm guessing he was very ready for the moment. Adley was the same way,” Mancini said.
“I think they both seem to be wise and carry themselves above their years.”
Rutschman, the first overall draft pick in 2019 and face of Baltimore's rebuild, entered Saturday's game with a slight edge over Peña in most statistical categories. Peña has played 103 games to Rutschman's 71 but is in a massive offensive funk that's cratered any earlyseason hope for a Rookie of the Year win.
Rutschman is worth 3.6 wins above replacement, according to BaseballReference. Peña is worth 3.8, despite playing 32 more games. Rutschman leads all major league rookies with 3.5 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs. Peña is worth 2.3 fWAR. The two will compete with Seattle center fielder Julio Rodríguez for the award.
Peña has a .564 OPS in 33 games since the AllStar break. An 0-for-3 showing Friday dipped his season OPS below
.700. It was .825 on June 1. Rutschman, meanwhile, has a .363 on-base percentage and 129 OPS+ — 29 points above league average. Rutschman is worth 13 defensive runs saved, according to Sports Info Solutions.
Despite his dramatic offensive decline, Peña continues to provide similar elite defense while handling the struggles with a type of poise that has impressed Mancini.
“He's wowed me,” Mancini said of Peña. “Done an incredible job and had big shoes to fill here, too. Carlos (Correa) played here for a long time and was incredible. Sometimes that can be hard when you're a rookie, replacing someone like that, and it seems like it hasn't fazed him at all.”