BALTIMORE -- Astros bench coach Alex Cora is not with the team for the three-game series in Baltimore due to the birth of his twin boys, Xander Gabriel and Isander Manuel, on Friday morning. He is expected to rejoin the team on Monday in Philadelphia.
"Alex Cora has left our team [for the weekend]. His family expanded with twins today, which we're happy everybody's healthy," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "He's happy. He should be back in the Phillies series if all goes well with the babies and the momma."
Hinch said that Cora's responsibilities will be divided among the coaching staff. The team's translator, Alex Cintron, will serve as another coach during the Baltimore series. Cintron played in the Majors for nine years for four different teams, including the Orioles in 2008.
"Alex Cintron's going to be on the bench with us tonight. ... He also has over a decade of experience at the Major League level. So he's been in the dugout a lot before," Hinch said. "We get the benefit of having that type of baseball experience in the translator role. To be able to expand that this week and have him be a little bit more involved in our game strategies, that's pretty cool."
Cintron began his Major League career in Arizona in 2001 and stayed with the D-backs through '05. During Cintron's last two years in Arizona, Hinch served as the D-backs' farm director. Because of their previous connection, it was an easy decision for Hinch to briefly add Cintron to the coaching staff.
"I have a ton of comfort with him since our days together in Arizona, so it'll be pretty seamless," Hinch said. "He's helped Cora do some of his responsibilities, and the stuff that he's handled behind the scenes with Alex Cora will be what he's focused on."