Paredes heads to IL with sore right side
Righthanded reliever Enoli Paredes was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday with right side soreness after he exited the Astros’ 6-2 victory over the A’s on Thursday with a 3-1 count in the eighth inning. The Astros recalled righthander Nivaldo Rodriguez from their alternate training site.
“(Paredes) is too valuable for us to take a chance on him doing more injury to it … or it plaguing him all year,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ve got to get him well because he was struggling a little bit. Who knows, he might have had this bothering him the whole time and didn’t say much about it, and it just got to the point where he couldn’t take it or stand it anymore.”
Paredes, 25, has three official appearances and only 11⁄3 innings following Thursday’s abrupt removal. He’s walked six in that span and walked the first two batters he faced Thursday.
“These young guys want to remain here, and they love being here,” Baker said, “but we ask them to be honest at the same time.”
Scary hit by pitch first for Brantley
Left fielder Michael Brantley made his major league debut in 2009 with the Indians, so he’s been around the block in baseball. He still experienced a first in the sport nearly a week ago at Oakland — and not a good kind.
“It was the first time in my career I’ve been hit in the hand or wrist area,” Brantley said of taking a 90 mph fastball off his right wrist against the A’s. “So it was a little scary, but luckily I came back (Thursday), and I look forward to staying on the field with the boys.”
Brantley, 33, has started the season on a tear, with seven hits in his first 13 at-bats entering Friday night’s home game against the A’s. He missed three games with a bone bruise before returning Thursday at Minute Maid Park in the home season opener.
“This is a special lineup, and I’ve been very fortunate the last couple of years to … play with this group of guys,” Brantley said. “It’s a veteran approach from top to bottom, always relying on each other, and everyone brings something special to this lineup. They’re tough outs, all the way up and down.”
Fast start brings back memories
The Astros’ 51 runs in their first seven games set a franchise record entering Friday night’s contest. Their 15 home runs in that span also led the majors.
Dusty Baker, who played for the Dodgers from 1976-83, compared the Astros’ smoking-hot start on offense to the 1977 and 1978 Dodgers that won consecutive National League pennants.
“Ron Cey propelled us from start to finish in the pennant chase,” Baker said of the third baseman nicknamed “the Penguin.” “You need a couple of guys hot in the order — you need a couple of guys hopefully hot back-to-back-to-back in the order. Instead of (the opponent) trying to pitch around one hot hitter.”
Baker added that it’s typically better for a batter to face a pitcher out of the stretch instead of the windup.
“When guys are hitting pitchers they’re in the stretch a lot, and guys are also walking,” Baker said. “Every no-hitter that you (see), probably most of the time the pitcher is out of the windup. It’s to our advantage to try and get as many pitchers during a game out of the stretch versus in the windup.”
Straw flashes glove in opener
Myles Straw made a spectacular diving catch in center field in the home opener on Thursday, and Dusty Baker said that’s no surprise.
“He’s always been comfortable playing center field, he just had George Springer in front of him to where he couldn’t really get much time,” Baker said. “(Straw) is one of the fastest runners around, and he works at it.”
Baker said he loves Straw’s all-out effort even in batting practice — but he has also told the 26-yearold to cool his jets a bit while shagging in the outfield.
“… He’s out there diving and running down everything, which you want him to do,” Baker said. “(But) what I told him is as the year gets on to work less on it because it’s going to affect your offense. Go out and practice as much as you can, but you’ve got to save something for the game. He works at it every day.”
Fans pose small issue in the field
Myles Straw said with fans back in the stands players must again communicate louder, especially when calling for catches.
“Last year was pretty easy with no fans, I mean, you could hear people outside the stadium,” Straw said. “With the fans this year you’ve got to be extra loud … and know who you’re working with out there.”