Injuries & Moves: Alvarez, Peña injured in collision
LATEST NEWS
June 29: LF Yordan Alvarez, SS Jeremy Peña exit after outfield collision
Alvarez and Peña both left Wednesday afternoon’s 2-0 win over the Mets at Citi Field following a nasty collision in left field in the eighth inning, and they were being evaluated for concussions, a team spokesman said. Both players were in the visitors' clubhouse postgame and were flying home with the team to Houston. -- Brian McTaggart
June 28: LF Michael Brantley placed on 10-day IL
Brantley, who was pinch-hit for in the top of the eighth inning in Sunday's loss to the Yankees, was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort. Brantley will be examined by team doctors when the team returns to Houston later this week and hopes to return when the 10 days are up.
"We have a good idea what we need to do to get back as soon as possible," Brantley said. "I'm not happy to go on the IL for this, but at the same time, it's in the best interest to be 100 percent healthy moving forward." -- Brian McTaggart
June 28: OF Chas McCormick, RHP Enoli Paredes recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land; Brandon Bielak optioned to Triple-A
McCormick didn't leave New York after he was optioned over the weekend when Jeremy Peña was activated off the injured list, so the outfielder is back on the roster for the two-game series against the Mets. McCormick is slashing .219/.291/.394 with six homers and 16 RBIs, but he has struck out 42 times in 155 at-bats.
"Obviously, I was upset because you want to be here with this team and this team knows how to win, and there's nothing better than that," McCormick said. "But I can't control it. I have to perform better. That was kind of it. Obviously, it sucked, but it made sense. Whatever is best for the team. Hearing the news that day in Yankee Stadium on Sunday didn't feel that good, but I tried to decompress a little bit, take it for what it is and be OK about it. [Michael] Brantley's on the IL so I'm back, so I couldn't happier to be back."
With Bielak optioned, the Astros called up Paredes to take his place in the bullpen. In three relief outings, Bielak allowed one run on five hits over seven innings, but they want him to pitch more at Triple-A. Paredes was called up for the first time this season after posting a 0.93 ERA with 41 strikeouts, a .152 opponents' batting average and a 1.07 WHIP at Triple-A. In 2021, the 26-year-old fanned 15 over 8 2/3 innings. -- Brian McTaggart
INJURY UPDATES
10-day and 15-day injured lists
RHP Jake Odorizzi (lower left leg tendon strain)
Expected return: Early July
Odorizzi, who's been out since May 17 with a lower left leg tendon strain, made his first of two Minor League rehab starts at Triple-A Sugar Land on June 24. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out four over three innings. Odorizzi is scheduled to make his second rehab start on June 29 at Double-A Corpus Christi. He's gone 3-2 with a 3.13 ERA in seven starts for the Astros this year. -- Brian McTaggart (Last updated: June 29)
LF Michael Brantley (right shoulder discomfort)
Expected return: TBD
Brantley, who is batting .288/.370/.416, went on the 10-day IL with right shoulder discomfort. Manager Dusty Baker said he's hopeful that Brantley, who underwent an MRI on his shoulder during Monday's off-day, will be back and fully healthy in 10 days. -- Brian McTaggart (Last updated: June 28)
LHP Parker Mushinski (left elbow discomfort)
Expected return: TBD
Mushinski, who threw one scoreless inning against the Mariners on June 6, was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow discomfort. The left hander has a 4.26 ERA in six appearances (6 1/3 innings) with the big league club this season. -- Brian McTaggart (Last updated: June 7)
LHP Blake Taylor (left elbow inflammation)
Expected return: TBD
Taylor will not throw a baseball for a couple of weeks after being diagnosed with left elbow inflammation. Taylor last pitched on June 3 in Kansas City, but he was lifted with one out when catcher Martín Maldonado called for the medical staff to come out and check on him. -- Brian McTaggart (Last updated: June 7)
60-day injured list
RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (right flexor tendon)
Expected return: August
McCullers, who injured his right flexor tendon in last year's American League Division Series and then suffered a setback in his recovery in January, threw 20-plus pitches in a live batting-practice session prior to the June 25 game against the Yankees. It was McCullers' first live BP since he began his long rehab process from the injury.
McCullers has been throwing curveballs off flat ground for a couple of weeks and will eventually implement those into his live batting-practice sessions. He will throw a few more live BP sessions over the next few weeks before taking the next step, which would be rehab game action. That's still more than a month away. -- Brian McTaggart (Last updated: June 25)
RHP Josh James (right lat strain)
Expected return: TBD
James appeared in 23 games for Triple-A Sugar Land, posting a 7.59 ERA. He was placed on the seven-day injured list on June 21 after not pitching since June 15. James, 29, has appeared in 73 career games for the Astros since 2018, posting a 4.64 ERA. -- Brian McTaggart (Last updated: June 23)