Astros Will Feature Stocked Lineup In Season Opener
All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve is out for two months following right thumb surgery.
Left fielder Michael Brantley will begin the year on the injured list while he recovers from right shoulder surgery.
Yet when the Houston Astros open the season against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, their lineup will look something like this:
Jeremy Peña SS
Alex Bregman 3B
Yordan Alvarez DH
Kyle Tucker RF
José Abreu 1B
Chas McCormick CF
Jake Meyers, LF
Mauricio Dubón, 2B
Martín Maldonado C
Wow, that’s impressive even without Altuve and Brantley.
The defending World Series champions can certainly get by while a couple of their standouts recuperate.
On the pitching side, imagine being able to rally quickly from the loss of Justin Verlander to free agency and the New York Mets.
Framber Valdez will take the baseball on Opening Day for the second straight season as he begins his quest for the Cy Young award.
When Valdez comes out, manager Dusty Baker can turn the game over to the best bullpen in Major League Baseball anchored by closer Ryan Pressly.
The Astros had the best relief ERA (2.80) of any team in baseball last season and were nearly unhittable in the postseason.
Only more injuries and health can derail the Astros.
They’ll attempt to win their third World Series title since 2017 and their second in a row.
Even with a couple of key injuries, it doesn’t seem like anyone will notice. This team is loaded.
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