The Houston Astros have had their fair share of injury woes this season, whether it’s an outfielder or starting pitcher. Throw third baseman Alex Bregman into the mix, too. Bregman, arguably the hottest hitter in the Astros’ lineup right now, will miss a weekend series. Houston opens up a three-game set with the Chicago White Sox on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
Bregman, who has found his home run stroke as of late, is dealing with swelling in his right elbow. Of course, this would affect Bregman’s strategy at the plate since he hits from the right side. Also, this might hamper him when fielding ground balls at third base.
Houston Astros Will Keep Going
He reportedly went through with an MRI. Bregman said that it showed “no damage of any ligaments or anything like that,” according to The Athletic.
“It’s just something I’m going to have to take a few days for,” Bregman told Astros beat writer Chandler Rome. “Obviously it’s pretty unfortunate because I’m swinging the bat well right now.” He added that he slept on his right arm in an awkward position. Bregman said he “just kind of played through it.” But he did say that this issue hasn’t affected his play on the field. Bregman, though, did admit that the right elbow issues were problematic in other areas of his life.
“It’s not that I couldn’t play through it anymore, it’s just that I need to nip it in the bud,” Bregman said.
So, this is what the Houston Astros are doing: nipping it in the bud. Bregman shared co-American League Player of the Week honors with teammate Yordan Alvarez this week. They combined for nine home runs last week. The longball efforts were key in the Astros’ 8-1 road trip. Houston won two of three in Texas, then swept three straight in Boston and Tampa Bay. Bregman went 16-for-41 on the road trip.
Not having Bregman for this weekend series will put a dent in the Astros’ offense. Yet making sure he’s healthy for more clutch games down the road matters, too. The White Sox are having an anemic year, recently firing their manager. Chicago might steal a game this weekend. But the Houston Astros are in a good position right now.
Entering Friday night’s play, the Astros hold a three-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. They have a 65-55 season record, a definite improvement from a sloppy start.
Bregman has definitely played a huge role in Houston’s turnaround. Look at these numbers: Bregman bumped up his OPS to .764 from .534. He’s also been quite reliable on defense at third base. Rarely will you see him make wild throws to first base.
To take Bregman’s spot in the lineup, the Houston Astros called up Shay Whitcomb to the big-league club. Spencer Arrighetti (5-10) goes against the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet (6-9) on Friday night. Hunter Brown starts on Saturday night against Chris Flexen, and Framber Valdez closes out the series against Chicago’s Ky Bush on Sunday afternoon.
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