10:15am: The Astros have now formally positioned McCormick on the injured checklist. In addition they optioned righty Nick Hernandez to Triple-A. Infielder Grae Kessinger and lefty Bryan King have been recalled from Triple-A in a pair of corresponding strikes.
10:05am: Astros outfielder Chas McCormick is headed to the 10-day injured checklist with a small fracture in his proper hand, he informed the workforce’s beat final evening (video hyperlink by way of MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). He suffered the damage upon colliding with the outfield fence whereas pursuing a foul ball. The fracture, positioned “proper beneath” McCormick’s index finger, is “not a severe factor” and is sufficiently small that the outfielder remains to be hoping to return this season. There are simply 17 days left on the common season schedule, although one other deep postseason run for Houston might clearly make that return extra possible.
The workforce has but to formally announce the IL placement, although that’ll occur earlier than at present’s day recreation towards the A’s. A corresponding transfer will likely be introduced on the time. With McCormick on the shelf, Houston’s outfield combine will include Yordan Alvarez, Jake Meyers, Jason Heyward and Ben Gamel — plus any potential call-up who takes his roster spot. Star proper fielder Kyle Tucker has performed solely as a chosen hitter and pinch-hitter since coming back from a monthslong absence as a result of what was initially termed a bone bruise however finally revealed to be a fractured shin. He’s collected two hits in 16 plate appearances.
The timing of the damage is irritating for McCormick — “disappointing” to make use of his personal phrases. The 28-year-old has been struggling by means of the worst season of his skilled profession and was even optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land final month, solely to return simply days later when Meyers was positioned on the paternity checklist. McCormick doubled in his first recreation again, collected two hits in his second recreation and has performed nicely sufficient since that transient minor league task that supervisor Joe Espada has been enjoying him usually.
McCormick has tallied three multi-hit video games previously week and informed the ’Stros beat the he was “feeling like [him]self lastly” on the plate when the damage occurred. It’s clearly a minuscule pattern, however he’s hitting .417/.440/.583 over his previous 25 journeys to the plate. That’s solely boosted his season slash to .211/.271/.306, however he was clearly trending in the fitting path.
Solely time will inform whether or not McCormick can certainly make it again this season. He’s on the mercy of how shortly the small break in his hand mends and at how deep his teammates can progress within the postseason (assuming they certainly qualify; FanGraphs offers them a 94% likelihood to take action in the mean time). Each damage performs out in a different way, nevertheless, and it’s not but clear who Houston will face within the occasion that they do certainly attain the playoffs for a ninth straight season.
Previous to this yr’s dreadful marketing campaign, McCormick was a quietly productive member of a perennial World Collection contender in Houston. He batted .273/.353/.489 with a career-high 22 homers in 2023 and entered the present season as a lifetime .259/.336/.449 hitter with notably formidable numbers towards lefties and high quality defensive scores throughout all three outfield spots. McCormick is incomes $2.85MM and is managed for 2 extra seasons by way of arbitration.