McHugh lasts only 10 batters, may get multiple rehab starts
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Astros starter Collin McHugh might be further from making his regular-season debut than first thought.
Scheduled to pitch three or four innings in his Grapefruit League debut Monday night, McHugh lasted just 12⁄3. The 29-year-old righthander was tagged for three runs on five hits and a walk despite facing only 10 batters in the Astros’ 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
McHugh, who will begin the regular season on the 10-day disabled list after early-camp “dead arm” delayed the start to his throwing program, exhausted 47 pitches in the brief outing. His fastball sat at 88 mph and topped out at 90 mph, according to one scout’s radar gun.
“Stuff-wise, I felt all right. My velocity’s still getting there,” said McHugh, whose fastball averaged 91 mph last season. “It’s not season-ready yet, obviously. But that’s going to come. That’s kind of one of the last things to come, I think.
“But (in terms of ) feel, I felt pretty good with most of my off-speed pitches. I threw a couple good breaking balls. I threw a couple good cutters. You work from there moving forward.”
McHugh yielded a Kolten Wong triple and four singles, including a runscoring hit by opposing pitcher Carlos Martinez. The Cardinals fouled off at least 15 pitches in running up McHugh’s pitch count.
After manager A.J. Hinch pulled him in the middle of the second inning, McHugh threw another dozen or so pitches in the bullpen to simulate another “up and down.” He will stay back in Florida when the team breaks camp Wednesday night to throw a simulated game Saturday.
Hinch said the team’s hope is that an official rehab assignment is the next step for McHugh after Saturday’s simulated game. It’s unclear how many rehab starts McHugh would require, but Monday’s outing suggests he’ll need more than one.
Fisher piles up stolen bases
Outfield prospect Derek Fisher has been one of the standouts of Astros spring training, particularly with his basestealing ability.
Fisher’s 10 stolen bases in as many opportunities lead both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues this spring. He’s the first Astros player with doubledigit steals in spring training since Michael Bourn had 13 in 2009.
“From last year to this year, I’ve been working hard on it,” the 23-year-old Fisher said.
Base stealing has always been a prominent facet of Fisher’s game. The former 37th overall draft pick and University of Virginia product stole 31 bases in 38 chances in his first full professional season in 2015 and 28 in 35 chances last season.
But the 6-3, 205-pound Fisher said he’s gained confidence as a base stealer since last year. He’s less tense, playing looser and not second-guessing his reads, he said.
Manager A.J. Hinch described Fisher as “dynamic on the bases” with “a very quick first step.”
“He’s picked up on a lot of cues,” Hinch said. “He’s taken some of the things we’ve worked on the back fields into game action.”
Although he will be with the Astros through their exhibition games Thursday and Friday at Minute Maid Park, Fisher will begin the season at Class AAA Fresno, where he finished last year. His path to the majors became less clear in the offseason when the Astros acquired outfielders Josh Reddick, Carlos Beltran and Nori Aoki, but Fisher could find his way to the big leagues this season.
In 34 Grapefruit League at-bats, the lefthandedhitting Fisher is hitting .294 with .405 and .471 on-base and slugging percentages. He has one home run and three doubles with six walks to 13 strikeouts while playing all three outfield positions, as he has done throughout his two-plus years in the Astros’ farm system.
“He’s a promising prospect,” Hinch said.
Tucker makes Grapefruit debut
Outfielder Preston Tucker went 0-for-2 in Monday night’s Grapefruit League matchup against the Cardinals, his first action in a major league game since undergoing right shoulder surgery six months ago.
Tucker, who will begin the season back in Class AAA, batted eighth and played right field. He had played in minor league games for about the last week.
It’s not yet known if he will be in the Astros’ lineup again Tuesday or Wednesday against the Miami Marlins before the team breaks camp Wednesday night.
“Hopefully, I can get as many (at-bats) as possible before the real games get going,” he said.
Odds and ends
Brad Peacock, who is set to begin the season as the Astros’ long reliever, tossed 32⁄3 scoreless innings Monday night, striking out four and allowing one hit. …
Carlos Beltran played left field on Monday, his first appearance in the field since returning from the World Baseball Classic. He’s scheduled to play left field in Thursday’s exhibition against the Chicago Cubs at Minute Maid Park and one of the Astros’ first four regularseason games against the Seattle Mariners, manager A.J. Hinch said. …
A.J. Reed was summoned from minor league camp to start at first base and bat seventh on Monday. …
Charlie Morton is scheduled to pitch six or seven innings and throw around 90 pitches in his minor league outing Wednesday.