May 29, 2026 • 15 mins
The Athletic's Chandler Rome joined The A-Team with Adam Clanton and Adam Wexler to discuss his biggest takeaways from the Astros' successful road trip. He also previews the upcoming series against the Brewers, provides key injury updates, and examines what lies ahead as Houston looks to build on its recent momentum.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Astro's playing their best baseball of the season. And I
want to commend Chandler Rome because the last time I
saw a video clip of his podcast, he was rocking
a Cult forty five's hat, which is proof that he
doesn't hate the Astros.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
And now all the fans can get off his back, right, Chandler.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
No, it's proof shot at Royal retros dot com. That's
Royal Retros dot com. Use the code. Use the promo
code foul for ten percent off your purchase. That is
the promo code foul at royalretros dot com.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Like making he's shilling. Are you guys working together?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
No, I had no idea he would do that. It's
I'm so happy right now. You have no idea you.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Want you I mean, I mean you're asking why I
was wearing the Cult forty five seat. That's why.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, I love it because that was I'm sure the
response you were getting from Astros fans.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yeah, it was interesting. Like, I mean, you guys work
in you guys work in radio, right, you guys work
in media where advertising is king. Advertising pays my bills.
Advertising is great. We love the we love the sponsors
at sponsor crushed to your Territory part of the Foul
Territory Network. As always royalretros dot Com. He's promo code
(01:07):
foul for ten percent off. It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
All right, Let's get to the nitty gritty. Taking three
out of four from a Rangers team that's not that good.
It's I mean, I'm not saying it's not impressive, but
I like to concentrate on what's going well for the
Astros this season, and that hasn't been a lot lately
until recently.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And now, like I said, they're playing their best ball
the year.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
And after that little itty batty like mini swoon, Jordan Alvarez.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Is back to being an absolute alien.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Is there anything this guy can do at this point
that's not gonna just make you shake your head and say,
that's just him being him?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I mean it's unless you watch it every day, unless
you follow this team every day, I don't think you
can appreciate just how good he is. And I've said
it before on here, and I wrote about it after
the two homers, after the big games he had this week.
But like, it's not just the home runs, it's just
the power, it's everything about him as a hitter, the plate, discipline,
(02:04):
the contact ability, the poise, the ability to cover all
parts of the plate. You know, he doesn't swing and miss,
he doesn't chase, he doesn't strike out, like he is
a complete hitter. This is not a this is not
a slugger. That's just swinging for the fences. And if
he doesn't get it, he's gonna strike out or pop
up weekly Like he is a complete And I mean,
(02:26):
I'll even point to last night. You know he didn't obviously,
like didn't have I mean, it was a high bar
to clear, but you know it didn't have a great
game last night. But look at how that first ending went,
Like obviously Paine laid up let off with the homer.
But he gets down oh two against Nativaldi, works an
eight pitch walk. After getting down oh two, Estac Paradis
comes up first pitch to run homer. Like that's the thing.
(02:46):
They have to put so much attention on him that
even when he gets down oh two, like he's never
out of it at bat. He is as complete a
hitter as I have ever seen. He's as complete a
hitter as there is in baseball at this point. And
I I think if people watched him more and appreciated
it more like it would be. I think watching him
(03:07):
more would allow people to appreciate what a complete hitter
he is.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Before we get to the three pitchers that are set
to start the series for the Astros. Curious, who's the
next Astros hitter that you're most impressed with what they're
doing recently in the Astros lineup.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I'm gonna threey for a curve. Taylor Tremell, He's leading
off tonight, hit clean up the last two games and
in Arlington and took great at bats against Degram when
de Gram pitched, and then last night, you know, had
another nice game. He's leading off tonight. I mean, again,
small sample, but kind of the way Joe's constructing his
lineup right now is he's riding the hot hands. He's
(03:44):
riding like whoever is hitting well at this point. And
Taylor Tremmeell stacked three good games in a row coming
off of his rehab assignment. I'm obviously Christian Walker's been
his resurgence has been so needed for this lineup, just
to give them some depth. And he's hitting behind Alvarez
and almost all of the games, so it puts more
emphasis on him that if they're not going to pitch
(04:07):
to Alvarez that Walker has to make them pay, and
he has done that by and large this season. So
those two guys kind of stand out. But look, this
is a lineup right now that it's pretty top heavy,
and I mean you get past that four spot in
the lineup on when it's at full strength, and they're
gonna need to manufacture some stuff. They're gonna need to
bunt guys over, you know, hit balls to the right side,
(04:30):
advance runners, and then sackflies. They're don't have to play
some small ball, manufacturers some stuff. I like what Taylor
Tremmel is doing, and I like what he saw. I
like what Christian Walker's been doing as well.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
A little doubts as we talk with Chandler Rome here
on Sports Talk seven to ninety covering Major League Baseball
and the Astros for the Athletic, that the reason why
the Astros have played better baseball, gotten better results, one
more than they've lost this month, this is their pitching
has been a whole lot better. Have set up their
bullpen for a lot more success with many, many more
longer outings from their starters. Tang, Lambert, and Emi are
(05:00):
the three scheduled starters for this series. I don't need
your answer on what's been going well for Emai after
his six no hit innings, but curious on both Tang
and Lambert maybe trending in opposite directions, but you know
what has made Tang successful overall and maybe specifically as
a starter. And do you think we still have more
good Peter Lambert in the Astros future?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah? I think with Tang has just been he's throwing strikes.
The sweepers is his bread and butter. Like I mean,
when he's got the sweeper going, he's able to get
you know, hitters to expand and he's able to really
kind of open things up and be able to fill
the zone up with some other stuff. But the fact
that he's now able to get two and three times
through the order, you know, he is a reliever, But
(05:42):
most relievers, when you look at relievers, I only have
one or two pitches that they rely on, Like Billy,
Tang's always has four or five pitches in his arsenal
as a reliever, so he's kind of conditioned to be
a starter just with that varied arsenal. But they had
to get him to trust some of his secondary pitches
to get him to throw that stuff for strikes, and
(06:02):
they've had to get him the sequence things a little
bit different, and it's really worked. And then as far
as Lambert goes, you know the thing, and I may
have said this before about him, like it's look, it's
not always going to be pretty, but he just finds
a way to get out of endings. He finds a
way to grind through. It's just a real veteran, just
kind of grinder kind of outing every time he goes out,
(06:23):
like he's going to keep the team in the game,
which is really all you can ask for for a
guy in his position, kind of occupying the role he's
occupying on this team. He's keeping them close, he's letting,
you know, he's not letting things spiral out of control
because he had a few outings where he's given up
four and five runs. Yeah, but by and large, he's
keeping the team in the game. And I think that's
(06:44):
really all they need him to do.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Chandler, which member of the Astros bullpen is most likely
to look over at the Brewers dugout and do the
degeneration X crotch chop when they get a strikeout, they
have a lot.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Of nice guys down there, like Brian King's not going
to do that. AJ Blue Ball is not Nate Pearson,
probably Nyell Della Santos probably that would be my guest.
He's he's probably the most like and he's shown some emotions,
showed some emotion last night when he got out of
that jam. He's he's been the guy that's shown a
little bit of emotion, So I probably would pick him.
But aside from Della Santo's, that bullpen is full of
(07:21):
very nice young men that would never, never disrespect their
opponents like that.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
What I mean for those that don't know, the league
handed down a one game suspension for a.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Play shop of that you just saw Abner Uibay boy,
he's really going to feel that one game.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Well, and he's appealing too, So he's available night. If
he wants to come out and cross chop toward the
astro's dugout, that could be an interesting subplace.
Speaker 5 (07:46):
Good luck with good luck striking out an astro. That
don't ever happen. That's true never.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Which Okay, So Hater on the way back, Hunter Brown
on the way back, like really really on the way back,
Like it's.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Like like cater should be activated this home stand.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Yes, I would think maybe within the next two days. Obviously,
he's not activated today because he just pitched back to
back days, so he's not he would not be available
to pitch today, so it would be pointless to activate
him today because he's unavailable. But I maybe you know
they're off Monday, but maybe they activate him on Saturday.
Maybe they activate him Saturday or Sunday, let him get
(08:26):
in the game he's got the day off Monday, or
they could just wait until Tuesday when they start the
series against the Pirates. But yeah, he's going to be
activated eminently.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah, and I get again, I know that the obvious
answer is going to be Hunter Brown. As far as
of those two, which do you think is going to
have a bigger effect on the Astros immediately simply because
of what type of pitchers they are?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
But are you like me?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
And I said this to Wax earlier in the show,
of all the Astros injured players that are either expected
to come back relatively soon or maybe in jose Al
Twovay's case, he still got a little ways to go,
but maybe sooner than you thought. I have the least
amount of concern about Hunter Brown, like I think he's
just gonna go out there and start, you know, taking
guys souls again, and you're you're never gonna think about
(09:09):
the fact that he was hurt because it's just gonna
look like he never left.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I mean, that's that's good in theory, and I'm happy
for you if you had that confidence. But he is
a pitcher, and pitching is unnatural. Throwing the ball overhand
ninety eight miles an hours an unnatural motion. I don't
think you can ever feel very, very comfortable that a
guy is gonna come back and be completely have a
clean bold of health. That's not me trying to be pessimistic,
(09:34):
and it's not me trying to throw cold water on it.
It's just kind of reality, right. But I do think
you know, every report they have gotten on Hunter Brown
since he started throwing again, since his rehab assignments have started,
had been excellent. And tonight, because he's pitching in triple A,
we'll actually get to see some public velocity, reading some
public pitch metrics, so we'll get to see how the
(09:55):
stuff actually looks. He didn't have that in double A
when he made his first start, so more instructive tonight
to see what the vilo looks like, with the shape
looks like, with kind of some of the spent rates
look like, and if it's all in line with what
he's been doing, which is what the ashers have said.
They're hearing that everything is just as they expect with
Hunter Brown. If that's the case, he's gonna come back
and be a huge shot in the arm for this team.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
Just a night off for Jeremy Pania out of the
lineup after he hit the home run to lead off
the game yesterday. Jose Altuve is with the team during
this early portion of the homestand if not throughout, are
we hearing accurately that it's probable, if no setbacks, that
Jose al Tuova's return is much more sooner than once
(10:38):
originally thought.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yeah, I'll let you in on a little secret. Joseel
Tuova is not a fan of going on rehab assignments.
He said that he has said that in the past
he does not like going on them. I would be
surprised if they send him on like a true minor
league rehab assignment. I think you could see a situation
where maybe they have some injured pitchers or they fly
some minor league guys. That gets some minor leaguys from
(11:01):
Sugarland to come here and throw some live pitching to
him and take some live at bats. But I think
you and the way they are talking about this, like
the fact that he's healing so quickly, the fact that
he's doing all baseball activities and he's swinging and I
don't think he's swinging it full effort yet, but he's
everything is progressing in a way that he may not
need a rehab assignment before he comes back. I don't
(11:23):
even think he wants one. So you could see a
situation where maybe they do. And you've seen this. They
tried to do it with your and Alvarez last year,
but they didn't know his hand was broken. They tried
and done it with guys in the past, or they
have brought minor league pitchers to dyke In Park and
you know, done live vps that way. I think you
could see that happen with Josel Tuve, And I think
(11:43):
there is a chance that he comes back without even
going on a.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
Rehab a sign would you look inside this division and
where things stand, and maybe some other teams that could
see players returning or almost sixty games into the season,
do you think we're kind of what you see is
what you get. We're probably gonna se a division winner
in the eighty five eighty six win range. The Athletics,
Astros and Mariners are probably in the race throughout most
(12:06):
of the year, and maybe are not any of them sellers.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
I don't think the A's had the pitching to stick
around for I mean, look, they can really mash, they
can really hit. I don't think they have the pitching
to stick around for this long. I think I think,
if we're being honest with ourselves, I think the Mariners
topped a bottom, have the best roster in the division.
And I think we said that coming into the year.
I think that's still the case. Now. That's not to
say that the Astros can't compete with them. I think
(12:35):
I think the Mariners had the better roster last year too,
and the Astros were in it until the end of September,
and the Ashers didn't have Jordan Alvarez for most of
the year. So I do think one of these teams
is going to get hot. One of these teams is
going to go on a run to where you don't
you aren't looking up and there's one team in the
division of the positive run differential, and there's one There's
(12:56):
not any team above five hundred. I don't think the
marin I don't know if it's be the Astros. I
think the A's already went on their kind of run.
They started the year so well that I think that
was their run. But I think, you know, the Mariners
are playing better, the Astros are obviously playing better. Now.
I think it's gonna between those two teams because I
think they clearly have the two most competitive rosters in
(13:17):
the division. It's just going to be a matter of,
you know, who gets hot quick and who can stay
the healthiest.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I'll tell you who's apparently not going to fuel a
Mariner's run, and that's cal Rawley.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah, that was I don't want to say I don't
think it's a one hill. I think he's a good player,
Believe me, I think he's a really good player. But
I think anyone expecting him to do hit sixty homers
again or even encroach on that pace was crazy, because
I mean that's kind of a that's a once in
a lifetime, kind of once in a generation season that
you see, especially from that position right like being a catcher.
(13:48):
The fact that he the fact that he stayed healthy
last year doing everything that he did, catching as much
as he caught, is a testament to him. Is a
testament to their training staff and their train the conditioning staff.
It's a testament to a lot of people. But I
don't you never kind of looked at that and thought
it was sustainable. So look, when he comes back, he's
going to be a real asset to them. But I
(14:09):
think anyone that thought he was going to have the
replicate the season he had last year this year was insane.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
I suit you did there, Chandler, big dumper coming back,
He's gonna be a real asset for the Seattle Mariners. Chandler,
We appreciate the time as always. Enjoy the brewers all
weekend long.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Thanks Wex. How's Ota is going?
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Love it? Thanks for asking.
Speaker 5 (14:31):
I know how much you love going out there and
checking out the Texans and T shirts and shorts.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
No more more than I do. But I appreciate you asking.
I had a great time.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
You gotten a burger from cal yat or is that later.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
That's for other people to do. I don't partake in
that particular activity.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
To be honest with you, okay, so you don't go
grill with him like the other members of the media do.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
That is exactly correct.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
I do not do that.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Good good, I'm happy. Good, thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
I thought you you want to get anything else off
your chest, Chandler. All right, Chandler, we appreciate the time.
As always, we'll talk to you next week.
Astro's playing their best baseball of the season. And I
want to commend Chandler Rome because the last time I
saw a video clip of his podcast, he was rocking
a Cult forty five's hat, which is proof that he
doesn't hate the Astros.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
And now all the fans can get off his back, right, Chandler.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
No, it's proof shot at Royal retros dot com. That's
Royal Retros dot com. Use the code. Use the promo
code foul for ten percent off your purchase. That is
the promo code foul at royalretros dot com.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Like making he's shilling. Are you guys working together?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
No, I had no idea he would do that. It's
I'm so happy right now. You have no idea you.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Want you I mean, I mean you're asking why I
was wearing the Cult forty five seat. That's why.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, I love it because that was I'm sure the
response you were getting from Astros fans.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yeah, it was interesting. Like, I mean, you guys work
in you guys work in radio, right, you guys work
in media where advertising is king. Advertising pays my bills.
Advertising is great. We love the we love the sponsors
at sponsor crushed to your Territory part of the Foul
Territory Network. As always royalretros dot Com. He's promo code
(01:07):
foul for ten percent off. It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
All right, Let's get to the nitty gritty. Taking three
out of four from a Rangers team that's not that good.
It's I mean, I'm not saying it's not impressive, but
I like to concentrate on what's going well for the
Astros this season, and that hasn't been a lot lately
until recently.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And now, like I said, they're playing their best ball
the year.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
And after that little itty batty like mini swoon, Jordan Alvarez.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Is back to being an absolute alien.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Is there anything this guy can do at this point
that's not gonna just make you shake your head and say,
that's just him being him?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I mean it's unless you watch it every day, unless
you follow this team every day, I don't think you
can appreciate just how good he is. And I've said
it before on here, and I wrote about it after
the two homers, after the big games he had this week.
But like, it's not just the home runs, it's just
the power, it's everything about him as a hitter, the plate, discipline,
(02:04):
the contact ability, the poise, the ability to cover all
parts of the plate. You know, he doesn't swing and miss,
he doesn't chase, he doesn't strike out, like he is
a complete hitter. This is not a this is not
a slugger. That's just swinging for the fences. And if
he doesn't get it, he's gonna strike out or pop
up weekly Like he is a complete And I mean,
(02:26):
I'll even point to last night. You know he didn't obviously,
like didn't have I mean, it was a high bar
to clear, but you know it didn't have a great
game last night. But look at how that first ending went,
Like obviously Paine laid up let off with the homer.
But he gets down oh two against Nativaldi, works an
eight pitch walk. After getting down oh two, Estac Paradis
comes up first pitch to run homer. Like that's the thing.
(02:46):
They have to put so much attention on him that
even when he gets down oh two, like he's never
out of it at bat. He is as complete a
hitter as I have ever seen. He's as complete a
hitter as there is in baseball at this point. And
I I think if people watched him more and appreciated
it more like it would be. I think watching him
(03:07):
more would allow people to appreciate what a complete hitter
he is.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Before we get to the three pitchers that are set
to start the series for the Astros. Curious, who's the
next Astros hitter that you're most impressed with what they're
doing recently in the Astros lineup.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I'm gonna threey for a curve. Taylor Tremell, He's leading
off tonight, hit clean up the last two games and
in Arlington and took great at bats against Degram when
de Gram pitched, and then last night, you know, had
another nice game. He's leading off tonight. I mean, again,
small sample, but kind of the way Joe's constructing his
lineup right now is he's riding the hot hands. He's
(03:44):
riding like whoever is hitting well at this point. And
Taylor Tremmeell stacked three good games in a row coming
off of his rehab assignment. I'm obviously Christian Walker's been
his resurgence has been so needed for this lineup, just
to give them some depth. And he's hitting behind Alvarez
and almost all of the games, so it puts more
emphasis on him that if they're not going to pitch
(04:07):
to Alvarez that Walker has to make them pay, and
he has done that by and large this season. So
those two guys kind of stand out. But look, this
is a lineup right now that it's pretty top heavy,
and I mean you get past that four spot in
the lineup on when it's at full strength, and they're
gonna need to manufacture some stuff. They're gonna need to
bunt guys over, you know, hit balls to the right side,
(04:30):
advance runners, and then sackflies. They're don't have to play
some small ball, manufacturers some stuff. I like what Taylor
Tremmel is doing, and I like what he saw. I
like what Christian Walker's been doing as well.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
A little doubts as we talk with Chandler Rome here
on Sports Talk seven to ninety covering Major League Baseball
and the Astros for the Athletic, that the reason why
the Astros have played better baseball, gotten better results, one
more than they've lost this month, this is their pitching
has been a whole lot better. Have set up their
bullpen for a lot more success with many, many more
longer outings from their starters. Tang, Lambert, and Emi are
(05:00):
the three scheduled starters for this series. I don't need
your answer on what's been going well for Emai after
his six no hit innings, but curious on both Tang
and Lambert maybe trending in opposite directions, but you know
what has made Tang successful overall and maybe specifically as
a starter. And do you think we still have more
good Peter Lambert in the Astros future?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah? I think with Tang has just been he's throwing strikes.
The sweepers is his bread and butter. Like I mean,
when he's got the sweeper going, he's able to get
you know, hitters to expand and he's able to really
kind of open things up and be able to fill
the zone up with some other stuff. But the fact
that he's now able to get two and three times
through the order, you know, he is a reliever, But
(05:42):
most relievers, when you look at relievers, I only have
one or two pitches that they rely on, Like Billy,
Tang's always has four or five pitches in his arsenal
as a reliever, so he's kind of conditioned to be
a starter just with that varied arsenal. But they had
to get him to trust some of his secondary pitches
to get him to throw that stuff for strikes, and
(06:02):
they've had to get him the sequence things a little
bit different, and it's really worked. And then as far
as Lambert goes, you know the thing, and I may
have said this before about him, like it's look, it's
not always going to be pretty, but he just finds
a way to get out of endings. He finds a
way to grind through. It's just a real veteran, just
kind of grinder kind of outing every time he goes out,
(06:23):
like he's going to keep the team in the game,
which is really all you can ask for for a
guy in his position, kind of occupying the role he's
occupying on this team. He's keeping them close, he's letting,
you know, he's not letting things spiral out of control
because he had a few outings where he's given up
four and five runs. Yeah, but by and large, he's
keeping the team in the game. And I think that's
(06:44):
really all they need him to do.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Chandler, which member of the Astros bullpen is most likely
to look over at the Brewers dugout and do the
degeneration X crotch chop when they get a strikeout, they
have a lot.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Of nice guys down there, like Brian King's not going
to do that. AJ Blue Ball is not Nate Pearson,
probably Nyell Della Santos probably that would be my guest.
He's he's probably the most like and he's shown some emotions,
showed some emotion last night when he got out of
that jam. He's he's been the guy that's shown a
little bit of emotion, So I probably would pick him.
But aside from Della Santo's, that bullpen is full of
(07:21):
very nice young men that would never, never disrespect their
opponents like that.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
What I mean for those that don't know, the league
handed down a one game suspension for a.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Play shop of that you just saw Abner Uibay boy,
he's really going to feel that one game.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Well, and he's appealing too, So he's available night. If
he wants to come out and cross chop toward the
astro's dugout, that could be an interesting subplace.
Speaker 5 (07:46):
Good luck with good luck striking out an astro. That
don't ever happen. That's true never.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Which Okay, So Hater on the way back, Hunter Brown
on the way back, like really really on the way back,
Like it's.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Like like cater should be activated this home stand.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Yes, I would think maybe within the next two days. Obviously,
he's not activated today because he just pitched back to
back days, so he's not he would not be available
to pitch today, so it would be pointless to activate
him today because he's unavailable. But I maybe you know
they're off Monday, but maybe they activate him on Saturday.
Maybe they activate him Saturday or Sunday, let him get
(08:26):
in the game he's got the day off Monday, or
they could just wait until Tuesday when they start the
series against the Pirates. But yeah, he's going to be
activated eminently.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah, and I get again, I know that the obvious
answer is going to be Hunter Brown. As far as
of those two, which do you think is going to
have a bigger effect on the Astros immediately simply because
of what type of pitchers they are?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
But are you like me?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
And I said this to Wax earlier in the show,
of all the Astros injured players that are either expected
to come back relatively soon or maybe in jose Al
Twovay's case, he still got a little ways to go,
but maybe sooner than you thought. I have the least
amount of concern about Hunter Brown, like I think he's
just gonna go out there and start, you know, taking
guys souls again, and you're you're never gonna think about
(09:09):
the fact that he was hurt because it's just gonna
look like he never left.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I mean, that's that's good in theory, and I'm happy
for you if you had that confidence. But he is
a pitcher, and pitching is unnatural. Throwing the ball overhand
ninety eight miles an hours an unnatural motion. I don't
think you can ever feel very, very comfortable that a
guy is gonna come back and be completely have a
clean bold of health. That's not me trying to be pessimistic,
(09:34):
and it's not me trying to throw cold water on it.
It's just kind of reality, right. But I do think
you know, every report they have gotten on Hunter Brown
since he started throwing again, since his rehab assignments have started,
had been excellent. And tonight, because he's pitching in triple A,
we'll actually get to see some public velocity, reading some
public pitch metrics, so we'll get to see how the
(09:55):
stuff actually looks. He didn't have that in double A
when he made his first start, so more instructive tonight
to see what the vilo looks like, with the shape
looks like, with kind of some of the spent rates
look like, and if it's all in line with what
he's been doing, which is what the ashers have said.
They're hearing that everything is just as they expect with
Hunter Brown. If that's the case, he's gonna come back
and be a huge shot in the arm for this team.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
Just a night off for Jeremy Pania out of the
lineup after he hit the home run to lead off
the game yesterday. Jose Altuve is with the team during
this early portion of the homestand if not throughout, are
we hearing accurately that it's probable, if no setbacks, that
Jose al Tuova's return is much more sooner than once
(10:38):
originally thought.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yeah, I'll let you in on a little secret. Joseel
Tuova is not a fan of going on rehab assignments.
He said that he has said that in the past
he does not like going on them. I would be
surprised if they send him on like a true minor
league rehab assignment. I think you could see a situation
where maybe they have some injured pitchers or they fly
some minor league guys. That gets some minor leaguys from
(11:01):
Sugarland to come here and throw some live pitching to
him and take some live at bats. But I think
you and the way they are talking about this, like
the fact that he's healing so quickly, the fact that
he's doing all baseball activities and he's swinging and I
don't think he's swinging it full effort yet, but he's
everything is progressing in a way that he may not
need a rehab assignment before he comes back. I don't
(11:23):
even think he wants one. So you could see a
situation where maybe they do. And you've seen this. They
tried to do it with your and Alvarez last year,
but they didn't know his hand was broken. They tried
and done it with guys in the past, or they
have brought minor league pitchers to dyke In Park and
you know, done live vps that way. I think you
could see that happen with Josel Tuve, And I think
(11:43):
there is a chance that he comes back without even
going on a.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
Rehab a sign would you look inside this division and
where things stand, and maybe some other teams that could
see players returning or almost sixty games into the season,
do you think we're kind of what you see is
what you get. We're probably gonna se a division winner
in the eighty five eighty six win range. The Athletics,
Astros and Mariners are probably in the race throughout most
(12:06):
of the year, and maybe are not any of them sellers.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
I don't think the A's had the pitching to stick
around for I mean, look, they can really mash, they
can really hit. I don't think they have the pitching
to stick around for this long. I think I think,
if we're being honest with ourselves, I think the Mariners
topped a bottom, have the best roster in the division.
And I think we said that coming into the year.
I think that's still the case. Now. That's not to
say that the Astros can't compete with them. I think
(12:35):
I think the Mariners had the better roster last year too,
and the Astros were in it until the end of September,
and the Ashers didn't have Jordan Alvarez for most of
the year. So I do think one of these teams
is going to get hot. One of these teams is
going to go on a run to where you don't
you aren't looking up and there's one team in the
division of the positive run differential, and there's one There's
(12:56):
not any team above five hundred. I don't think the
marin I don't know if it's be the Astros. I
think the A's already went on their kind of run.
They started the year so well that I think that
was their run. But I think, you know, the Mariners
are playing better, the Astros are obviously playing better. Now.
I think it's gonna between those two teams because I
think they clearly have the two most competitive rosters in
(13:17):
the division. It's just going to be a matter of,
you know, who gets hot quick and who can stay
the healthiest.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I'll tell you who's apparently not going to fuel a
Mariner's run, and that's cal Rawley.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah, that was I don't want to say I don't
think it's a one hill. I think he's a good player,
Believe me, I think he's a really good player. But
I think anyone expecting him to do hit sixty homers
again or even encroach on that pace was crazy, because
I mean that's kind of a that's a once in
a lifetime, kind of once in a generation season that
you see, especially from that position right like being a catcher.
(13:48):
The fact that he the fact that he stayed healthy
last year doing everything that he did, catching as much
as he caught, is a testament to him. Is a
testament to their training staff and their train the conditioning staff.
It's a testament to a lot of people. But I
don't you never kind of looked at that and thought
it was sustainable. So look, when he comes back, he's
going to be a real asset to them. But I
(14:09):
think anyone that thought he was going to have the
replicate the season he had last year this year was insane.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
I suit you did there, Chandler, big dumper coming back,
He's gonna be a real asset for the Seattle Mariners. Chandler,
We appreciate the time as always. Enjoy the brewers all
weekend long.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Thanks Wex. How's Ota is going?
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Love it? Thanks for asking.
Speaker 5 (14:31):
I know how much you love going out there and
checking out the Texans and T shirts and shorts.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
No more more than I do. But I appreciate you asking.
I had a great time.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
You gotten a burger from cal yat or is that later.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
That's for other people to do. I don't partake in
that particular activity.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
To be honest with you, okay, so you don't go
grill with him like the other members of the media do.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
That is exactly correct.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
I do not do that.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Good good, I'm happy. Good, thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
I thought you you want to get anything else off
your chest, Chandler. All right, Chandler, we appreciate the time.
As always, we'll talk to you next week.
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