San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Smith on the verge of 800th appearance
HOUSTON — A year after breaking into a major league bullpen, Joe Smith realized he had no career goals.
Just getting into a major league game felt like an accomplishment. Once he did, Smith sensed he needed a more long-term aim for his career.
“I always had 1,000 (appearances) in my mind because that’s kind of the gold standard for relievers,” Smith said Saturday. “That’s what I was shooting for.”
Only 17 pitchers have ever appeared in 1,000 contests. Smith is still 201 away, but he will move into more exclusive company during his next jog in from the bullpen. Smith’s next appearance will be the 800th of his career, a mark only 51 other men have reached.
“It’s pretty cool, man, just to be around this long and still pitching, still getting outs and knowing you can still do this thing,” Smith said. “One thousand is still the goal, but it makes you realize how hard it is to get to.”
Smith has more appearances than any active pitcher. The 37-year-old sidearmer is in the final season of a two-year contract he signed with the Astros in 2020. Smith did not pitch during the 60-game season in 2020 while caring for his mother, Lee, who died from Huntington’s disease last August.
Smith’s return to routine has not been pretty. Before the season, the Astros presumed he would throw leverage innings at the back of their bullpen. Instead, Smith handled mop-up duty in Friday’s 10-4 win over the Rangers. He threw a scoreless inning that lowered his ERA to 6.23.
Since an April that Smith called “terrible,” he has thrown 5⅓ innings of onerun ball out of Houston’s bullpen in May. Opponents still have a .941 OPS against him in May, but Smith insists things are “on the right track.”
Smith’s slider is the source of many problems. He has allowed nine hits and a .773 slugging percentage against the pitch this season. For reference, he yielded nine hits total against the pitch in 2018 and 2019.
“It’s gotten better. Is it there? It’s getting better,” Smith said. “We’re almost there.”
Alvarez’s start in left is called off
Yordan Alvarez is inching closer to a part-time outfield role, but another bout of leg soreness scuttled plans for him to start today’s series finale against the Rangers in left field.
Manager Dusty Baker had intended to play Alvarez in left field to give Michael Brantley a half-day off at designated hitter. Instead, Alvarez will have a day off today while Brantley starts at designated hitter. Rookie Chas McCormick will start in left.
“I nixed that idea,” Baker said Saturday. “I told him and Michael that this was how I was going to do Sunday, but things changed. His legs are sore, so I think it’s better to give him a day off and DH Michael, and then I can play McCormick tomorrow.”