JUST IN: Astros manager Joe Espada makes key decision on two injured stars

The remaining three-plus weeks of the regular season will be a juggling act for Astros manager Joe Espada in terms of playing time for right fielder Kyle Tucker and third baseman Alex Bregman, both of whom have injuries that may not be fully healed until the end of the season.

Tucker was activated off the injured list ahead to Friday’s game against the Diamondbacks, after missing three months due to a right shin fracture sustained when he fouled a ball off it on June 3. He started the series opener at designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with a walk, but the Astros will need to keep an eye on his playing time in the future.

This year, seven additional players began games in right field, including Ben Gamel and Jason Heyward, who were acquired during the season.

Meanwhile, Bregman has been suffering with right elbow soreness for the past three weeks, forcing him out of the lineup multiple times. He missed five games in a run (Aug. 16-20) and four games in a row (Aug. 30-Sept. 2), while starting three games as designated hitter. Bregman did not appear in the lineup against Arizona on Friday.

“He’s a little sore today, but he’s doing well,” Espada explained. “We’re trying to monitor the volume of games in a row, but he’s actually feeling well.”

What complicates the situation for Espada is the club’s desire to limit how much slugger Yordan Alvarez plays in left field. Tucker and/or Bregman will be unable to play in the DH position on days when he starts.

“It requires a lot of discipline because we have [21] games left and I want those guys in there, but at the same time, we want them out there healthy,” Espada joked. “The goal is to have them playing back-to-back games … so that’s going to require a little bit of time and patience, and us being smart about how to do it and when to do it.”

 

 

In an ideal world, the Astros would give Tucker and Bregman as much rest as they required before to the postseason, but the American League West standings indicate otherwise. The Astros (76-65) have a 4 1/2-game lead over the Mariners (72-70), but they are still chasing the AL Central-leading Guardians (81-60) for the second spot in the AL playoffs, which would result in a bye to the AL Division Series.

Espada is well aware of the standings — and what manager isn’t around September? His primary priority, however, is to ensure that Bregman and Tucker can continue playing.

“That’s where I’m at every day postgame, pregame, just making sure these guys are healthy and good to go,” he went on:

If the Astros make the playoffs and go on another lengthy postseason run, they will play no more than three consecutive days. This might happen three times: all three games of the AL Wild Card Series, Games 3-5 of the AL Championship Series, and Games 3-5 of the World Series. That’s a good problem to have.

For the time being, Espada can only hope that his middle-of-the-order bats improve their consistency.

“Where I could just write the lineup [with] them on back-to-back days without worrying about how they feel the next day, that’s where we want to be,” according to the captain. “Will that happen in the next week? I hope so.

“But that might not be the case until they both feel good postgame, which hasn’t happened yet.” Hopefully, we will reach that position in the near future.