Mauricio Dubon

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

• TheRangerstradingMarcus Semien to theMets forBrandon Nimmo and cash (1:25)
• TheOriolestradingGrayson Rodriguez to theAngels forTaylor Ward (20:05)
• TheMarinersre-signingJosh Naylor to a five-year deal (31:20)
• TheBraves acquiringMauricio Dubón from theAstros forNick Allen (40:50)
• Fourdifferentguysaccepting a qualifying offer (52:40)

Check out our past episodes!

• Offseason Preview Megapod: Top 50 Free Agents –listen here
• Surprising Option Decisions, Qualifying Offers, And Paul DePodesta – listen here
• Offseason Preview Megapod: Top Trade Candidates – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook pagehere!

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

The deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is this afternoon at 4pm CT. Throughout the day, we’ll surely see a handful of arb-eligible players agree to terms with their clubs to avoid a hearing.

These so-called “pre-tender deals” usually, although not always, involve players who wereborderline non-tender candidates. Rather than run the risk of being cut loose, they can look to sign in the lead-up to the deadline. Those salaries often come in a little below projections, since these players tend to have less leverage because of the uncertainty about whether they’ll be offered a contract at all.

Under the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement, players who sign to avoid an arbitration hearing are guaranteed full termination pay. That’s a change from prior CBAs, when teams could release an arb-eligible player before the season began and would only owe a prorated portion of the contract. This was done to incentivize teams and players to get deals done without going to a hearing.

All salary projections in this post come viaMLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. This post will be updated throughout the day as deals are announced and/or reported. Salary figures are fromThe Associated Press unless otherwise noted.

• TheAstros signed right-handerEnyel De Los Santos to a one-year deal and outfielderTaylor Trammell to a split deal, perBrian McTaggart of MLB.com. PerChandler Rome ofThe Athletic, De Los Santos gets $1.6MM, plus a $100K bonus if he appears in 60 games, while Trammell $900K if in the majors and $500K in the minors. They were projected for $2.1MM and $900K respectively.
• TheAthletics announced that they have signed right-handerLuis Medina and left-handerKen Waldichuk to one-year deals. Medina gets $835K, while Waldichuk comes in at $825K.
• TheBraves announced that they have signed infielderVidal Bruján, infielderMauricio Dubón, outfielderEli White and left-handersJoey Wentz andJosé Suarez for the 2026 season. Bruján’s deal was announced as a split contract; he’ll make $850K in MLB and $500K in the minors. Dubon will make $6.1MM, perJon Heyman of The New York Post, right around his $5.8MM projection. Suarez gets $900K, perAri Alexander of 7 News, below his $1.5MM projection. White and Wentz also get $900K salaries.
• TheBrewers announced that they have signed first basemanJake Bauers for 2026. He’ll make $2.7MM, perJon Heyman of The New York Post. He was projected for $2MM.
• TheGiants have agreed to a one-year deal with right-handerJT Brubaker, perJustice selos Santos of Mercury News. He commands a $1.82MM salary.
• TheGuardians have agreed to one-year deals with outfielderNolan Jones, catcher/designated hitterDavid Fry and right-handerMatt Festa, perZack Meisel of The Athletic. In afollow-up, Meisel also provides the salary figures. Jones will make $2MM, Fry $1.375MM and Festa $1MM. They were projected for $2MM, $1.2MM and $1MM respectively.
• TheMets and outfielderTyrone Taylor have agreed at $3.8MM, perMark Feinsand of MLB.com, right around his $3.6MM projection.
• TheNationals announced they have signed catcherRiley Adams to a one-year deal. It’s a split deal that pays $1MM in the big leagues and $500K in the minors.
• TheOrioles and right-handerFélix Bautista have agreed to a $2.25MM contract, reportsMark Feinsand of MLB.com. He was projected for $2.1MM.
• ThePadres announced they signed catcherLuis Campusano to a one-year deal. He’ll make $900K next year, perDennis Lin of The Athletic. He was projected for $1MM.
• ThePhillies have agreed to a split deal with catcherGarrett Stubbs, reportsMatt Gelb of The Athletic. Stubbs will make $925K in the majors and $575K in the minors. The major league salary is an exact match for his projection. The Phils announced that they also signed catcherRafael Marchán. He’ll make $860K, perTodd Zolecki of MLB.com. He was projected for $1MM.
• TheRangers announced they signed outfielderSam Haggerty to a one-year deal. It’s a $1.25MM contract.
• TheRays and right-handerCole Sulser have settled at $1.05MM, perMarc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Sulser was projected for $1.2MM. According to the AP, it’s a split deal that pays at a $600K rate in the minors.
• TheReds and left-handerSam Moll have agreed at $875K, perJon Heyman of The New York Post. He was projected for $1.2MM. His 2026 deal also has $150K in potential incentives — $50K each for 45, 55 and 65 appearances.
• TheRoyals and infielderJonathan India agreed to an $8MM deal. You can read more about that inthis post.
• TheTigers and infielder/outfielderMatt Vierling agreed at $3.225MM, perJon Heyman of The New York Post. He was projected for $3.1MM. Detroit signed right-handerBeau Brieske at $1.1575MM, perHeyman, right around his $1.3MM projection. The Tigers signed catcherJake Rogers at $3.05MM, perEvan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, right around his $2.9MM projection.
• TheTwins signed right-handerJustin Topa to a one-year, $1.225MM deal. MLBTR covered that earlier inthis post. The Twins turned down a $2MM club option for Topa, giving him a $225K buyout instead, but he remained under club control via arb. Between the buyout and next year’s salary, he’ll collect $1.45MM.Darren Wolfson of KSTP reported Topa’s 2026 salary.Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic adds that the guarantee is broken down into a $1MM salary in 2026 followed by a $225K buyout on a $5MM mutual option. The buyout can rise to $300K via unspecified incentives.
• TheWhite Sox announced that they have agreed to terms on a $900K deal with outfielderDerek Hill. He was projected for $1MM.
• TheYankees and infielderOswaldo Cabrera have agreed to a $1.2MM contract, perJack Curry of Yes Network, an exact match for his projection. The Yanks have also signed right-handerClarke Schmidt to a $4.5MM deal, perRobert Murray of FanSided, right around his $4.9MM projection.

Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images

Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos met with reporters on Wednesday after the teamacquired Mauricio Dubón from the Astros forNick Allen. Anthopoulos confirmed the Braves view him as a potential starting shortstop while leaving the door open to pushing him back into a utility role if they land an upgrade.

“Our underlying data on him at shortstop is good and strong,” Anthopoulos said (link viaMark Bowman of MLB.com). “But I think he’s good at second, good at third, and good at the corners. He can play center field. We like the contact and the speed, as well.” Anthopoulos said Dubón’s job “will be determined by what else we do this winter and even in Spring Training.”

There’s no indication the Braves will be a factor for Bo Bichette. The only other clear free agent upgrade isHa-Seong Kim, who declined his $16MM player option. Anthopoulos made clear at the beginning of the offseason that the Braves wanted Kim back, but it remains to be seen if they’ll meet his asking price on what will presumably be a multi-year deal.

There aren’t any teams that are known to be shopping an everyday shortstop. Washington could moveCJ Abrams, but the asking price would be huge and they may be reluctant to trade him within the division. The rebuilding White Sox and Rockies have young shortstops they hope are foundational pieces (Colson Montgomery and Ezequiel Tovar, respectively).

There’s been some speculation about the Rangers entertaining offers on a highly-paid superstar as they face payroll constraints. It’d still be a huge surprise if Texas tradesCorey Seager, who arguably remains the team’s best hitter and is signed for $31MM per season for another six years. It’s not clear if the Braves would have any interest in assuming a significant portion of the remaining $186MM on that deal.Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic report that Atlanta is one of the clubs on Seager’s eight-team no-trade list. Even if the teams could line up a stunning blockbuster, they’d need to get the player to sign off.

The 31-year-old Dubón has started 81 MLB games at shortstop. He played a career-high 206 1/3 innings there this past season. Dubón has 721 career frames at the position. Defensive Runs Saved has him right around average, while Statcast grades him an excellent nine runs above par. Dubón, a two-time Gold Glove winner in a utility capacity, is established as a plus defender at second base and throughout the outfield. He’s an above-average runner with good hands and a plus arm. Dubón is unlikely to be as good a defensive shortstop as Allen was, but he’s not a complete zero at the bottom of the lineup, so he’s a better overall player.

The Braves need to weigh the value of the upgrade from Dubón to Kim against the cost it’d take to bring the latter back — which could pull resources from their need for a mid-rotation starter. There’s too much injury downside to rely on a rotation ofChris Sale, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach,Reynaldo López and Hurston Waldrep.

The Braves don’t have much in the way of upper level depth behind that quintet. That makesGrant Holmes’ health a big x-factor, even assuming they add at least one starter. Holmes turned in a 3.99 ERA while striking out a quarter of batters faced in 22 appearances this year. His season ended in July when he was diagnosed with a partial tear of the UCL in his elbow.

Ligament damage always raises a risk of surgery. Holmes is trying to rehab without going under the knife. Anthopoulos said the Braves are “really encouraged” by how things have progressed in the past four months (relayed byDavid O’Brien of The Athletic). They still won’t know whether Holmes can avoid surgery until he builds up the intensity during Spring Training, yet that’s a positive development at this stage.

The Astros and Braves announced a one-for-one swap of middle infielders. Utility playerMauricio Dubón is headed to Atlanta with defensive specialistNick Allen on his way to Houston.

Atlanta takes on a few million dollars to upgrade their infield. Dubón, 31, spent nearly four seasons in Houston. The Astros acquired him from the Giants in a minor trade early in 2022. It was a nice pickup, as he developed into a versatile and generally reliable piece off the bench. Dubón won two utility Gold Glove awards while playing all three infield positions to the left of first base and a decent amount of center and left field.

The righty-swinging Dubón was a league average hitter a couple seasons ago, batting .278/.309/.411 with 10 homers in nearly 500 trips to the dish. His offense has declined in each of the past two years. He’s coming off a .241/.289/.355 showing with seven longballs through 398 plate appearances and carries a .256/.293/.358 line over the past two seasons. He’s very difficult to strike out but rarely walks and has well below-average power.

Still, that light bat is a significant upgrade over what Allen brings to the table offensively. The 27-year-old Allen didn’t hit a single home run in 416 trips to the dish this year. He turned in a .211/.284/.251 line that made him easily the worst hitter to take 400+ plate appearances. Allen ranked in the bottom 20 hitters in on-base percentage, while his slugging mark was more than .040 points lower than the second-lowest in MLB (.296 byVictor Scott II). He owns a .213/.265/.272 slash in nearly 1200 plate appearances over parts of four seasons.

Allen has continued to get playing time because of his superlative glove. He has been touted as an excellent infielder dating back to his high school days. Allen has posted fantastic defensive marks in every season of his career. Defensive Runs Saved graded him as the third-best shortstop in MLB this year behindMookie Betts and Zach Neto. Statcast’s Outs Above Average also had him third, albeit behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Masyn Winn.

Dubón is unlikely to bethat caliber of defender if he were pressed into everyday shortstop work. Statcast has graded him as a plus defender in his 721 career innings at the position though. Defensive Runs Saved has him right around league average. Dubón should be capable of playing there every day, and he’s not a complete zero offensively. That’s particularly true in favorable platoon matchups, as he’s a .288/.329/.417 hitter versus left-handed pitching over the past three years.

The Braves couldn’t afford to enter next season with Allen atop the shortstop depth chart. Dubón would be a low-end regular but provides a higher floor. This shouldn’t detract from Atlanta’s interest in re-signing Ha-Seong Kim. Dubón has the versatility to provide cover behind Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley at second and third base while complementing lefty-hitting Michael Harris II in center field. Still, he’s at least a reasonable one-year fallback if Kim signs elsewhere in a market devoid of shortstop alternatives in free agency or trade.

Dubón is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility. He’sprojected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $5.8MM salary. Allen is eligible for arbitration for the first time as a Super Two player and under control for four years. He’s projected at $1.5MM. Houston cuts a little more than $4MM from the books while downgrading in the utility role.

Allen isn’t going to play shortstop barring an injury toJeremy Peña, but he can offer a glove-only option at second base. Jose Altuve is the primary starter there for now, but the Astros hope to continue splitting his playing time between the keystone, left field, and designated hitter. They’ve been tied to Brendan Donovan in trade conversations and could consider other possibilities (e.g. aBrandon Lowe trade, Jorge Polanco in free agency) if the Cardinals deal Donovan elsewhere. They’ll ideally add a left-handed bat to balance a righty-heavy lineup. Allen is out of minor league options, so he’ll need to be on the active roster or designated for assignment.

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reported that Dubón had been traded to the Braves just before the announcements. Respective images courtesy of Jerome Miron and Brett Davis, Imagn Images.

Major League Baseball announced the Gold Glove winners tonight, as selected by managers, coaches, and statistical analysis.  Twenty-five percent of the selection total was determined by SABR’s Defensive Index metrics, while the other 75 percent was determined by votes from all 30 managers and up to six coaches from each team.  The utility Gold Glove was determined in a separate fashion, via a defensive formula calculated by SABR and Rawlings.

National League winners

• Catcher:Patrick Bailey (2nd GG)…..Finalists:Carson Kelly,Luis Torrens
• First base:Matt Olson (3rd GG)…..Finalists:Bryce Harper,Spencer Steer
• Second base:Nico Hoerner (2nd GG)…..Finalists:Xavier Edwards,Brice Turang
• Third base:Ke’Bryan Hayes (2nd GG)…..Finalists:Ryan McMahon,Matt Shaw
• Shortstop:Masyn Winn (1st GG)…..Finalists:Nick Allen,Mookie Betts
• Left field:Ian Happ (4th GG)…..Finalists:Tommy Pham,Kyle Stowers
• Center field:Pete Crow-Armstrong (1st GG)…..Finalists:Victor Scott II,Jacob Young
• Right field:Fernando Tatis Jr. (2nd GG)…..Finalists:Corbin Carroll,Sal Frelick
• Utility:Javier Sanoja (1st GG)…..Finalists:Miguel Rojas,Jared Triolo
• Pitcher:Logan Webb (1st GG)…..Finalists:Matthew Boyd,David Peterson

American League winners

• Catcher:Dillon Dingler (1st GG)…..Finalists:Alejandro Kirk,Carlos Narvaez
• First base:Ty France (1st GG)…..Finalists:Vladimir Guerrero Jr.,Carlos Santana
• Second base:Marcus Semien (2nd GG)…..Finalists:Andres Gimenez,Luis Rengifo
• Third base:Maikel Garcia (1st GG)…..Finalists:Ernie Clement,Jose Ramirez
• Shortstop:Bobby Witt Jr. (2nd GG)…..Finalists:Corey Seager,Taylor Walls
• Left field:Steven Kwan (4th GG)…..Finalists:Wyatt Langford,Tyler Soderstrom
• Center field:Ceddanne Rafaela (1st GG)…..Finalists:Kyle Isbel,Julio Rodriguez
• Right field:Wilyer Abreu (2nd GG)…..Finalists:Adolis Garcia,Cam Smith
• Utility:Mauricio Dubon (2nd GG)…..Finalists: Ernie Clement,Daniel Schneemann
• Pitcher:Max Fried (4th GG)…..Finalists:Jacob deGrom,Luis Severino

Imaging has revealed a left oblique strain forJeremy Pena, the shortstop told reporters on Thursday.Chandler Rome of The Athletic was among those to relay the update. Pena had been out of the lineup for the past four games. He was initially in Sunday’s starting nine before being scratched due to the injury. Houston was swept at home by Seattle and has dropped the first two games of the series against the Athletics.

Just a few days after GM Dana Brownsaid Pena’s oblique injury “could be just a two-day thing,” Pena is now facing what could be an extended absence. While no roster move has been made regarding Pena, oblique injury timelines are typically measured in weeks, not days. It’s the second time this season that Pena has dealt with a left side issue, as he missed 27 games with a broken left rib.

It’s brutal news for a Houston teamthat just lostYordan Alvarez to an ankle sprain. The Astros ceded their spot atop the AL West over the weekend and are now in danger of missing the postseason altogether. They entered Thursday’s action one game behind the Tigers for the final AL Wild Card spot. Given that the season is hanging by a thread, perhaps there would be some temptation to put Pena out there even when he’s not 100%. However, they are also doing that withIsaac Paredes, who was rushed back from a hamstring injury and is using the designated hitter spot at the moment.

The oblique injury could cut short a breakout 2025 campaign for Pena. The 28-year-old posted a healthy 135 wRC+ while slashing .304/.363/.477. He matched a career high with 20 steals. Pena’s 17 home runs fell short of the 22 he hit as a rookie, but he exceeded his total from 2024 in 107 fewer plate appearances. It was quite the bounce-back season after Pena put up below league-average offensive numbers the past two seasons. He equaled his career-best strikeout rate from 2024 at 17.1%, while pushing his hard-hit rate up over 40% for the first time, per Statcast. Pena was able to combine the improved plate discipline from 2024 with the power he showed in his debut MLB season, turning him into one of Houston’s most potent offensive threats.

The Astros have turned toMauricio Dubon at shortstop for three of the four games without Pena.Carlos Correa slid over from third base to cover the spot on Wednesday. He certainly has plenty of experience playing up the middle for Houston. The versatileRamon Urias is also an option at shortstop, though he hasn’t appeared in a big-league game at the position since 2022. It’s hard to imagine any of the potential replacements matching Pena’s offensive prowess, but Dubon is at least a viable defensive fit. While Pena had an excellent defensive season, ranking seventh among shortstops in Outs Above Average, Dubon is actually eighth on that list.

The concept ofJose Altuve moving from second base to left field first emerged when the Astros reengaged withAlex Bregman late in the offseason. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported at the time that there were talks of re-signing Bregman, slidingIsaac Paredes from third base to second base and shifting Altuve to the outfield. Many initially took that with a heavy dose of skepticism; Altuve, after all, has played all of six major league innings at a position other than second base — and they were all at shortstop.

As Houston brass continued to paint a Bregman reunion as a long shot, however, they kept getting Altuve work in left field. Both manager Joe Espada and GM Dana Brown spoke about wanting to get some looks at Altuve in left and wanting to reduceYordan Alvarez’s time on the outfield grass. Even when Bregman signed in Boston, the Altuve/left field experiment continued to progress.

The position change seems less like an experiment and more like a reality by the day, and Espada’s latest comments only further that shift. Speaking to the Astros beat this morning, Espada left open the door for Altuve to get some playing time at second base but also suggested it will no longer be his primary position (via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle).

“Right now, the plan is for [Altuve] to play the majority of his games in left field,” Espada stated. “The days that he plays second base opens the door for [Alvarez] maybe getting a start in left field, someone getting a DH day. So this move allows us to be creative and do stuff like that.”

Espada added that frequently shuttling Altuve back-and-forth between the two positions “is something that I am going to avoid.” The second-year manager stopped short of outright proclaiming Altuve the Astros’ new everyday left fielder, but it certainly seems things are trending in that direction.

Altuve is a former Gold Glove winner at second base, but his defense has declined considerably as he’s entered his mid-30s. Defensive Runs Saved has pegged him at -13 or worse in each of the past three seasons. Statcast’s Outs Above Average isn’t as down on Altuve’s glovework during that three-year period but does agree he’s been a negative since 2023, including a particularly rough -8 mark in 2024.

That’s problematic in and of itself, but it’s particularly egregious when Houston has one of the best second base defenders in the sport (statistically speaking) on its roster already.Mauricio Dubon hasn’t even logged a full season’s worth of second base innings in his career, but in 1154 frames at the position he’s been credited with 12 DRS and 8 OAA. The Astros also inked longtime Rockies second basemanBrendan Rodgers, another plus defender at second base, to a minor league deal and invited him to camp.

At the very least, when ground-ball pitchers likeFramber Valdez andHunter Brown are starting games — Valdez is the top ground-ball starter in the sport over the past three seasons — it makes sense to have a superior defender in there. Either Dubon or Rodgers would fit the bill. Espada’s comments make it sound like Altuve is being pushed to left field more frequently than that, however.

Houston’s decidedly lackluster outfield mix is surely a factor as well. Owner Jim Crane seemed determined to dip under the luxury tax threshold after paying the tax in 2024, and as a result the outfield looks thinner than at any point in recent memory. The Astros traded their final season of control overKyle Tucker to the Cubs in a deal netting new third basemanIsaac Paredes, rotation candidateHayden Wesneski and new top prospectCam Smith. With Tucker gone and Alvarez ticketed for more DH time in ’25, Altuve joins a mix ofJake Meyers,Chas McCormick and free agent signeeBen Gamel in the outfield. There are still a handful of interesting free agents out there —David Peralta orAlex Verdugo could fit the ’Stros — but Crane’s preference is to remain south of the $241MM tax threshold; the Astros are currently at $236.8MM,per RosterResource.

If Altuve’s outfield move yields early dividends, it’s easy enough to see it becoming a permanent arrangement. The nine-time All-Star is entering the first season of a five-year, $125MM extension signed 13 months ago. He’s owed $30MM each year from 2025-27 before his salary greatly reduces to $10MM per season in 2028-29. That extension also came with a $15MM upfront signing bonus that has already been paid out.

Astros infielder/outfielderMauricio Dubon is slated to undergo surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb this week,reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Dubon played the final month of the season with the torn the ligament, Rome reports. The recovery period will be around six to eight weeks, leaving ample time for the versatile utilityman to be healed up by spring training.

Houston acquired the 30-year-old Dubonin a May 2022 trade that sent journeyman catcherMichael Papierski back to the Giants. He’s since emerged as a key role player for the ’Stros, hitting .274/.303/.388 in 920 plate appearances over the past two seasons while playing everywhere on the diamond other than on the mound or behind the plate. Rome notes that Dubon suffered the injury on a slide in early September but went on to hit .291/.322/.346 down the stretch while playing through considerable pain. Though he lacks power, Dubon is an exceptionally tough strikeout (12.9% this past season) and excels on the defensive side of the game, evidenced by a Gold Glove in 2023.

Dubon is arbitration-eligible this offseason andprojected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a reasonable $4.6MM salary. That’ll stand as a raise over this year’s $3.5MM salary, which he earned after winning an arb hearing over the Astros back in February.

While injuries can at times be a catalyst for an arb-eligible player to be non-tendered, that’s highly unlikely in this instance. The Astros can control Dubon through the 2026 season, and there’s no reason to think the surgery will impact his readiness for the 2025 campaign. He should return to the same utility role that saw him log 93 innings at first base, 138 at second base, 75 at third base, 32 at shortstop, 405 in left field, 153 in center field and 88 in right field this past season. As a career .281/.324/.442 hitter against southpaws, he should also be a regular piece of Houston’s attack versus lefties (even if he had a down showing in that regard this past season).

After the Astrosreleased veteran first basemanJose Abreu yesterday, the move left a clear hole in the club’s lineup at first base. Both GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada have since spoken to media about the club’s plans at the position, as relayed byMatt Young of the Houston Chronicle.

As noted by Young, Brown told reporters that first basemanJon Singleton, who received the majority of reps at first base when Abreu was optioned to the minors earlier this year, will get the first crack at regular at-bats at the position, with Brown noting that the club intends to give Singleton the opportunity to “grab the bull by the horn” and establish himself as a regular in their lineup. Through 50 games with the club this year, however, Singleton hasn’t done much to suggest he’s ready to step into the role of an everyday first baseman. The 32-year-old slugger has hit just .216/.313/.333 in 174 trips to the plate this year (92 wRC+). While his 13.2% walk rate in that time is quite impressive, he’s striking out at an elevated 26.4% clip and has displayed minimal power with just eight extra base hits this year.

That being said, Singleton’s actually been just above average (101 wRC+) with a 14.3% walk rate and a 22.6% strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this year. That provides some reason for optimism that Singleton could be a viable choice for the strong side of a platoon at first base, and it appears the club is receptive to that possibility. Per Young, both Brown and Espada have indicated that utility manMauricio Dubon will factor into the club’s first base mix against left-handed pitching. Dubon is hitting a solid .302/.327/.421 (114 wRC+) in 168 trips to the plate with the Astros this year, a figure that includes an impressive 133 wRC+ against southpaws.

While the club appears to be planning on Singleton and Dubon handling first base for the time being, it appears that Astros brass are nonetheless considering alternative options should Singleton struggle in expanded playing time. As noted byChandler Rome of The Athletic yesterday, the has considered the possibility of utilizing their catching tandem ofYainer Diaz andVictor Caratini at first base in some capacity as well. Both have produced solid offense with the bat this year for the standards of the catcher position: Diaz has slashed .258/.283/.407 (95 wRC+) in 233 trips to the plate while Caratini has posted a similar .235/.278/.408 (93 wRC+) line in 108 plate appearances.

With that said, both of those figures are below average overall and seem somewhat miscast at an offense-first position such as first base. Given that reality, it’s perhaps not a surprise that Espada indicated to reporters yesterday that the club prefers to keep Diaz and Caratini behind the plate. With that being said, the Astros did select the contract of switch-hitting catcherCooper Hummel to replace Abreu on the roster yesterday. Hummel owns a lifetime slash line of just .166/.264/.286 in the majors, but if he can post something closer to the .301/.423/.509 slash line he has in 201 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level with the Astros this year it’s possible that he could either factor into the first base mix himself or act as a solid enough backup option behind the plate to make the Astros more comfortable utilizing Diaz and/or Caratini at first on a part-time basis.

Of course, all of these options are looking purely internally;MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart relayed yesterday that Brown noted that the Astros expect to search for an additional bat at the trade deadline in addition to theirrumored pursuit of starting pitching. If Houston is indeed planning to add a bat to their lineup this summer, first base is certainly a logical fit. Blue Jays first basemanVladimir Guerrero Jr. has alreadyreceived some buzz as a potential candidate to move this summer, and while Toronto brass haveemphasized their reluctance to make such a deal, the fit between Guerrero and the Astros is fairly obvious in the event that the 25-year-old does find himself on the move.Pete Alonso is another notable first baseman who could be on the move this summer, asMLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently discussed. Other speculative candidates to move at the deadline this summer at first base include a host of veterans on expiring deals such asJosh Bell andJustin Turner.

Jose Abreu’s return from an optional assignment to the minor leagues will indirectly further crowd the the team’s outfield mix,writes Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Manager Joe Espada said yesterday that with Abreu back on the roster,Yordan Alvarez is likely to see more time in left field, allowing both Abreu andJon Singleton to be in the lineup at first base and designated hitter.

Alvarez has made consecutive starts in left field after previously appearing in only three games at the position. Espada noted that Alvarez picking up outfield at-bats will come at the expense ofChas McCormick andMauricio Dubon, adding that he’ll still work to keep everyone involved in the mix for playing time. (MVP candidateKyle Tucker and center fielderJake Meyers, in the midst of a breakout showing, naturally don’t appear as though their playing time will be impacted.)

Abreu is 1-for-6 with an RBI single since being recalled from a monthlong sojourn to the minor leagues — a rare assignment for a veteran of his status but one to which the former AL MVP consented after a disastrous start to the season. He went 7-for-22 with a homer and a pair of doubles with Houston’s Rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate. Abreu then played a pair of games in Triple-A Sugar Land and went 0-for-7 with a walk and three strikeouts.

The Astros are trying what they can to get Abreu back on track after a disappointing debut campaign in 2023 and a calamitous .099/.156/.113 slash through his first 77 plate appearances of the current campaign. It’s not clear what kind of leash Abreu will have, particularly with Houston sitting 6.5 games back in both the AL West and in the AL Wild Card chase, but Abreu’s three-year, $58.5MM contract gives the team plenty of financial incentive to try to turn things around.

Between Abreu and the 32-year-old Singleton, who returned to the majors after a seven-year absence last season, the Astros’ first base mix has been woefully unproductive. Singleton has turned in a .221/.327/.359 slash — roughly league-average offense (102 wRC+) that’s been accompanied by poorly rated defense (-4 Defensive Runs Saved, -4 Outs Above Average in 293 innings).

That lackluster output from the team’s first basemen is just one of many reasons the Astros find themselves staring at a 24-32 record with more than a third of the season in the books. The rotation’s health — or rather, the lack thereof — has also been a prominent factor. On that front, Espada provided a mixed bag of updates.

On the positive side of things, right-handerLuis Garcia is continuing to progress well in his rehab from last year’s Tommy John surgery. He threw off a mound at Minute Maid Park last week, and MLB.com’s Brian McTaggarttweets that the right-hander is now slated to throw to hitters in his next throwing session. McTaggartadds that rightyLance McCullers Jr., who’s on the mend from flexor surgery, threw a bullpen session this week but is still “a few weeks” from facing live hitters.

Facing live hitters and pitching in simulated game settings are often the last steps before an injured pitcher is cleared to set out on a minor league rehab assignment. Garcia will presumably have multiple live batting practice sessions before progressing to a rehab stint, which could last up to 30 days itself. A return isn’t right around the corner just yet, but he’s on track for a midsummer debut this year. McCullers, it seems, isn’t terribly far behind him.

Less encouraging were Espada’s updates on injured right-handersJose Urquidy andCristian Javier. Both are “getting opinions from other doctors,” according to Espada (via McTaggart). Seeking second opinions is always an ominous step for a pitcher, particularly when both are dealing with this type of injury. Urquidy has yet to pitch this season after suffering a forearm strain in spring training. Javier went on the injured list last week with forearm discomfort.