Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman exited Sunday's game in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch in the wrist against the Los Angeles Angels. X-rays were negative, a good sign for Bregman who the Astros say is day-to-day with a bone bruise.
“I'm good,” Bregman said after the game, per Brian McTaggart. The Astros blew two separate leads on Sunday, losing 9-7 to the Angels in the game's final at-bat.
Bregman drove in a run with a double in the third inning before leaving the game in the sixth. It is the second time Bregman was hit by a pitch in the hand/wrist this week.
The 30-year-old is heating up after a dreadful April and May. His .710 OPS is 140 points lower than his career average and he has a .237 batting average which would be the lowest single-season mark of his career.
This is an important season for Bregman as he is in the final year of his contract. The Astros great may very well test free agency, which begs the question as to whether his days in Houston are numbered. Astros fans may not have come to grips with that yet.
The Astros are the only franchise Bregman has played for in his MLB career. He debuted a year after Houston selected him second overall in the 2015 MLB Draft. He is one of six Astros players with over 1,000 career hits and at least 170 home runs.
Bregman's numbers across the last two weeks indicate he found himself at the plate. He has a 1.029 OPS with five home runs, 11 RBIs and 11 runs scored across his last 15 games. Houston went 8-7 in those games.
Astros still looking for consistency in 2024
The Astros probably didn’t expect their dynasty to end anytime soon nor in this way, but things seem to be trending in that direction. This is the first time in a decade Houston has failed to win more than 30 of its first 66 games. The 2014 Astros were 29-37 through 66 games, one fewer win than the 2024 Astros.
Houston is in unfamiliar territory in third place in the AL West. The first place Seattle Mariners are six and a half games ahead of Houston. The Mariners recently took three of four from the Astros. The two sides won’t meet again until the final week of the season.
Houston has dealt with injuries and poor pitching but remain in playoff contention thanks to a stellar offense. The Astros pitching staff ranks 21st in ERA, while Houston's offense has the second best batting average and fourth best OPS in the league. However, the Astros are 10th in runs scored, perhaps a sign they need to do more with their opportunities.
There have been rumors that the Astros could trade Alex Bregman and if Houston trends downward before the July 30 deadline, those rumors could become more realistic. Several contending teams would kill to get Bregman for the stretch run, even if they had no serious inklings of re-signing him.
As it stands, the Astros have a chance to play their best baseball in June and get back into serious playoff contention. Houston likely isn’t ready for their run to be over. Another playoff berth from where the Astros are now would be impressive.
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