News of the World
So in the ongoing saga that is the month of August for the Houston Astros, I can think of no better thing to reference in my post title than the groundbreaking album from rock band, Queen. The hits songs of "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" give special poignancy to the state of the team. We know how capable they all are to winning a championship, but the injury bug continues to spread its venom. As of this writing, 9 guys from the 40 man roster are sitting on the disabled list. They include the following:
Of course, the other 2 players that are on the DL that I did not mention above just happened to be the #BearSquared duo. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Your people's champion and mine, Evan Gattis has already been dealing with trying to come back after a back swing from Corey Dickerson of the Tampa Bay Rays left him with a concussion. Now, his catching wonder twin, Brian McCann, a.k.a the BMac, has now returned to the DL for the second time this season. The Houston Chronicle reported yesterday that McCann has a lingering soreness in his right knee that, allegedly, he has been dealing with the past couple of week. That could explain his second half slump, which I analyzed just this morning in my recent article with House of Houston. You can read it in the tweet below:
The Astros now have to rely on the minor league AAA Fresno catchers, Juan Centeno and Max Stassi, to take the helm as catching duo. While Centeno has proven his worth, Stassi still leaves much to be desired. Mainly, how his minor league batting numbers have yet to translate to the major league stage. He's catching Brad Peacock as we speak in the afternoon game, so we'll see what happens.
It goes without saying that, while all the injuries were bad enough, having McCann and Gattis out at the same time just hurts more and makes things that much worse. Yes, we have a great team all up and down the roster. I still believe that they will rock us into the postseason, and that they'll be the champions, my friends. I'm confident that they will keep on fighting until the end, which is far from anywhere close. I am playing on the lyrics of the two leading tracks off of the aforementioned Queen album, but those that know me well enough are clear on the methods to my supposed "madness."
This particular injury madness and losing skid, however, really needs to end. AND SOON! I know they still have the best record in the American League, but that lead is shrinking fast. The Boston Red Sox, of all teams, are nipping at their heals. Many will have their own arguments as to whether or not the Astros should even have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, since their road record is far better. But let's not split hairs, they need to get back in the win column.
Their recent acquisition, Tyler Clippard, may just be a token in helping them do just that. And more recent talks about Justin Verlander have flared up, but no deal has been set just yet. I'm of the camp that they should get this done before the waiver deadline of August 31st. The clock is ticking fast, and they need to make something happen. Having a team with both Clippard and Verlander may be just that spark the Astros need to get going again to a World Series Championship.
For now, we continue to play the waiting game. One that has no easy path to victory, but one that must be trudged through. My biggest hope and prayers are that my bear buddies, Gattis and McCann, will heal, recover and join back again with the team very soon. It's been a long time since I've heard any roars. But once I hear them again, it will be music to my very ears!
- Michael Feliz
- Tony Sipp
- Colin Moran
- Will Harris
- Lance McCullers
- Jandel Gustave (Out for the Season)
- Carlos Correa
Of course, the other 2 players that are on the DL that I did not mention above just happened to be the #BearSquared duo. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Your people's champion and mine, Evan Gattis has already been dealing with trying to come back after a back swing from Corey Dickerson of the Tampa Bay Rays left him with a concussion. Now, his catching wonder twin, Brian McCann, a.k.a the BMac, has now returned to the DL for the second time this season. The Houston Chronicle reported yesterday that McCann has a lingering soreness in his right knee that, allegedly, he has been dealing with the past couple of week. That could explain his second half slump, which I analyzed just this morning in my recent article with House of Houston. You can read it in the tweet below:
So it appears as though my nightmare has just gotten taken up a notch on the sheer horror meter. McCann is seeing a doctor back in Houston today. All the while, Gattis has had his concussion symptoms lessen, which is good news, since he hasn't had as many headaches or dizzy spells. The bad news, however, is that he still has only progressed to playing catch, and has not been cleared to resume full baseball activities. This is according to that same Chron article on McCann heading back to the DL. In lieu of this, the team has shifted Gattis from the 7 day concussion DL to the full on 10 day DL.Brian McCann has been in a heck of slump since the ASB and is now on the DL. @tvwizard85 breaks it down. #Astros ⚾️🔥💯https://t.co/eldhRNiCbc— House Of Houston (@HouseOfHouston) August 15, 2017
The Astros now have to rely on the minor league AAA Fresno catchers, Juan Centeno and Max Stassi, to take the helm as catching duo. While Centeno has proven his worth, Stassi still leaves much to be desired. Mainly, how his minor league batting numbers have yet to translate to the major league stage. He's catching Brad Peacock as we speak in the afternoon game, so we'll see what happens.
It goes without saying that, while all the injuries were bad enough, having McCann and Gattis out at the same time just hurts more and makes things that much worse. Yes, we have a great team all up and down the roster. I still believe that they will rock us into the postseason, and that they'll be the champions, my friends. I'm confident that they will keep on fighting until the end, which is far from anywhere close. I am playing on the lyrics of the two leading tracks off of the aforementioned Queen album, but those that know me well enough are clear on the methods to my supposed "madness."
This particular injury madness and losing skid, however, really needs to end. AND SOON! I know they still have the best record in the American League, but that lead is shrinking fast. The Boston Red Sox, of all teams, are nipping at their heals. Many will have their own arguments as to whether or not the Astros should even have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, since their road record is far better. But let's not split hairs, they need to get back in the win column.
Their recent acquisition, Tyler Clippard, may just be a token in helping them do just that. And more recent talks about Justin Verlander have flared up, but no deal has been set just yet. I'm of the camp that they should get this done before the waiver deadline of August 31st. The clock is ticking fast, and they need to make something happen. Having a team with both Clippard and Verlander may be just that spark the Astros need to get going again to a World Series Championship.
For now, we continue to play the waiting game. One that has no easy path to victory, but one that must be trudged through. My biggest hope and prayers are that my bear buddies, Gattis and McCann, will heal, recover and join back again with the team very soon. It's been a long time since I've heard any roars. But once I hear them again, it will be music to my very ears!
Original Photo Credits: Duane Burleson (Gattis, Left) and Mitchell Layton (McCann, Right), both of Getty Images
Once freed from the caves of their injury bugs, these two bears are gonna roar pretty loudly! Astros fans, brace yourselves for that!!!!
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