ON DECK: ASTROS VS. ATLANTA BRAVES
When/where: Monday and Tuesday at 7:10 p.m., Wednesday at 1:10 p.m.; Minute Maid Park.
TV: SCHN all three games, plus TBS on Tuesday.
Radio: 790 AM; 93.3 FM (Spanish), 1010 AM (Spanish). Pitchers: Monday, RHP Spencer Arrighetti (0-1, 21.00) vs. RHP Darius Vines (0-0, 0.00); Tuesday, RHP Hunter Brown (0-2, 16.43) vs. RHP Reynaldo López (1-0, 0.75); Wednesday, RHP J.P. France (0-2, 8.22) vs. LHP Max Fried (1-0, 8.74). Astros (6-11) update: Jose Altuve, who has reached base in all 16 games this season, leads the majors with 26 hits, and his .382 batting average trails only the .386 of Toronto’s Justin Turner. … Jeremy Peña has an eight-game hitting streak during which he is 12-for-34 (.353). … This series could well determine the odd man out of the rotation if Justin Verlander, as expected, returns to the rotation this coming weekend. All things being equal, Arrighetti, who allowed seven runs in three innings in his major league debut against the Royals last week, would most likely go back to Triple-A Sugar Land. But neither Brown, who gave up nine runs to Kansas City in a first inning he couldn’t escape, nor France, who allowed eight runs in four innings against Texas on Friday, should consider his job safe if Arrighetti has a good showing against an imposing Braves lineup. … In his second rehab start, Verlander threw 75 pitches in four innings for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday. He allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and a walk, striking out three. … Third baseman Alex Bregman hopes to be back in the lineup Monday after missed the weekend series against Texas with an illness.
Braves (9-5) update: Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna is pacing the majors with seven home runs and 21 RBIs. Since going 0-for-5 on opening day, he has hit in 13 consecutive games, going 22-for-54 (.407). With Atlanta down to its last strike Sunday, Ozuna hit a three-run homer that gave the Braves a 9-7 victory at Miami. … Reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., whose 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases last year gave him the first 40/70 season in history, is off to a .273/.385/.327 start and still looking for his first homer. His seven stolen bases tie him for the major league lead. … Matt Olson, who led the majors with 54 home runs a year ago, has three this year and ranks ninth in the NL with a .603 slugging percentage. … As a team, the Braves are slashing .301/.361/.496, all MLB-leading figures. … Atlanta’s 42 doubles, an average of three per game, also lead the majors. The Astros are second with 36 but have played three more games.