September 4, 2024 • 12 mins
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada joins The Matt Thomas Show ahead of the second of a three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds. Justin Verlander started in Monday's 5-3 loss, which snapped the Astros' five-game winning streak. "Physically, he looks fine," Espada said. However, Verlander is still working to get back to full strength after starting the season on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation and then missing more than two months with neck discomfort. The Astros are currently utilizing a six-man rotation, but young pitchers, such as Spencer Arrighetti and Ronel Blanco, are surpassing their previous inning thresholds, creating a "very delicate balance" between resting guys and wanting to hold the lead in the AL West. "We played well despite some injuries...still got another three weeks to go," so "we are trying to take it one series at a time." With the Astros looking to return to a five-man rotation, Blanco will most likely move to the bullpen. Blanco's next start would come Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he could be moved before then. "That's a strong possibility." Kyle Tucker revealed he sustained a small fracture after fouling a ball off his right shin on June 3. Tucker has been off the field for three months, but a return during the Diamondbacks series "is very realistic." Alex Bregman is also working through an injury. He is "day-to-day" and "we'll see how he feels." Espada says they would like to rest Bregman, "but we are not in the postseason yet."
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Houston Astros.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Astro Astro.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
This exclusive Astros segment on Sports Talk seven ninety is
brought to you by Memorial Hermann Mettercaretta.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Let's go, Hey, Let's go guys.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Time is twelve thirty two on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
It is about Thomas Show.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Let's spend ten quality minutes with a manager of the
Houston Astros, and I have to ask him. I've been
since Ani a few times. Not a bad place, but
I don't know if I don't want to spend an
off day there.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
What did you do?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Well, Well, you know, it's we had a great off
day here in Cincinnati weather. It's us great. We took
we actually went out to had a team dinner, players
and staff, and we've got a nice opportunity to relax
and hang out and you know, spend some a few
(00:54):
hours together since we've been on a long stretch of
games here. So we had a nice evening at a
team and just kind of getting ready for this, uh this, uh,
you know, for the finish line here. You know we
are we are on the last sprint of our regular season. So, Yester,
last night was a nice night for us to just
kind of you know, recharge our strength and spend a
(01:16):
little bit of time together at the club and uh,
and get back at it today.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Well, you know what, you had a stretch of eighteen
without a day off and you survived it, played over
five hundred baseball and you played against some really good competition.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And the most important.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Thing is you continue to make up or not make up,
extend your lead in the division. So all things considered, UH,
was still some injuries to kind of fight over in
Alex Bregman's elbow and whatnot.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You couldn't have asked for much more during this three
week stretch.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, yeah, you know what. We we had. We we played,
We played well despite some injuries, and we played some
really good teams. And I couldn't be any happier of
the way the boys are grinding through through this long stretch.
And and we still got another three three weeks to go.
The guys know how important the next three weeks are.
(02:04):
And but but like you said, I just could be
any happy that way we we we got after it
for eighteen straight days.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
All Right, Let's get to the fact that it looks
like Kyle's getting.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Very, very close.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
And we've been saying that for a little while, but
it feels like it's going to be my guest, maybe
the Arizona Series.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Would that be a possibility in your mind?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, you know what, he's getting really really close. He is.
He's having another live VP today, He's running the basis today.
So I think the Arizona series is very realistic. But
I'm excited that we are actually getting really close to
getting Kyle Talker back on the field. It's you know,
(02:44):
he's recovering. Well, he's eighty five nine spring effort. It's there,
and we need to get a few a few more
days of that. And but we're really really close. I
can't you know, I can't wait to write you know,
Penzil is his name in the lineup?
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, for sure, And I'm going to assume and you look,
things could change on a daily with him. This guy,
what's been gone as long as he is. But do
you feel like you you know, you play plays a day,
takes a day off, maybe dh a little bit. If
have you kind of gone through in your mind what
the next ten games would be like once he officially
gets put on that lineup card.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah, yeah, you know, I don't think the first few
days you could you could have them in there every day.
I think you know the concern here or you know
what you're trying to protect him is again it's soft
tissues injuries like a handstring, a quad because he hasn't
ramped up, uh you know in a while. He hasn't
(03:41):
play that in a long time, so we have to
be careful how we ease him in there. So d
H is the possibility, you know, maybe the day he
doesn't start to come off the bench and be a
bat off the bench, and then we'll progress until he
could play right field. But just to have them available
off the bench, be a weapon off the bench, Dhing.
(04:04):
It's it's you know, we're talking about one of the
best players in the league. So but we're really really close.
So today is another another day that we're looking forward
to having him, you know, do his work and see
how he feels afterwards.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Managed Joe spot of joining us from Cincanni. Look, skip,
you've got a player at third base.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
But then Alex Bregman, who doesn't like to miss in
a bat, much less a game. But obviously the elbow
is not one hundred percent. He's having aware and he's
having to fight through the pain. And I'm not a doctor,
and no I play on the radio, but I'm assuming
if the season was over with tomorrow and he'd have
some kind of scope or some surgery to repair it.
But you can't do that because he wants to grind
through and play. With that being said, with you having
(04:42):
the six and a half game lead, and you know, look,
you gotta get to the finish line, and you obviously
need Alex.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
We're gonna be a big part of it. Will there
be a.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Concerned effort by you, by the training staff to maybe
give him a few days off beyond what he's already
gone through now, just so if there's anything left in
that arm come playoff time, he'll be as close to
one hundred percent at that point.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Yeah, So you know, and that's what that's what we've
done the last five days. You know, I thought that
on Monday he could have gone and played, but we
you know, having Monday and then having you know, getting
off the off Monday and then having Tuesday off, the
extra two days would have been you know, would have
been beneficial for him. So he's gonna walk in today
(05:23):
and we'll see how he feels. But he's day to
day and like you said, we don't want to miss
him for a long period of time. But we all
you know, we only have twenty four games left, so
this is something that we're going to have to day
by day explore and maneuver. How can we deal with
with the elbow inflammation for the next couple of weeks.
(05:44):
You know, yes, we will like to rest them and
be ready for the postseason, but we're not in the
postseason yet. We have to be smart for the next
couple of weeks how we get the best out of
Alex and rest them to in doing the next during
this period of time. And I think we're doing a
really good job managing that around. We gave him five
(06:05):
days off and see how it feels today, and if
it feels good today, you know, he could be he
could be in there tonight.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
And you mentioned, of course not the postseason yet, but
what is that like for you kind of looking down
the stretch and and maybe if you are going to
win the American League West and get into October, you
also guys want guys fresh from a long season, as
far as al tave Pini and others, and kind of
towing that line between giving guys some rest but also
making sure you win the games.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, you know, it's a it's a very delicate balance,
you know, uh situation that we that we are in.
You know, I think we will will we have another
off day coming up on Monday. The next couple of days,
we could get this guys, you know, a blow, but
you know, we have another fifteen games stretch here once
(06:52):
you know, next beginning beginning next Thursday. So we have
to be smart on how, you know, use our DH
spot to some of our guys, give them off days
just to get him off their feet. You know. The
work that we do prior to our game be you know,
be quality but light work where the guys are not
(07:14):
constantly taking a ton of swing a ton of ground
balls just to make sure that they're fresh for for
for the game. But it's definitely uh uh, you know,
a very delicate, you know act situation because we want it.
We're trying to win as many games as possible, but
we also want to give our guys some some rest.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Speak your rest, uh are you confirming? I don't know
if you've officially done. It's no data alluded to this
over the weekend that Ronelle's can go to the bullpen
for a while, because I know we have talked about this,
that this is a young man that has been fantastic
for you this year, but he's also going into an
innings amount that he's never reached before in his professional career.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, so so there's there, you know, that could be
a realistic option for us for over the weekend, giving Blanco,
you know, uh, skipping for start working out of the
bullpen for stuck. But I'm not ready to confirm that.
I am going to sit down here with Josh and
and in the next in the next thirty minutes, and
we're going to talk about our rotation against the d back.
(08:13):
But that's that's a strong possibility for us, just to
make sure that we we protect our starter, especially Blanco,
But you know, I'm not ready to confirm that yet.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
One hundred and seven pitches for Justin Verlander, how do
you think he is? Just looking physically as far as uh,
from a physical standpoint and also from a pitching standpoint,
what do you want to see more from him?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yeah? So, you know, physically he looks fine, He looks strong.
You know, we we we spent some time last night
doing dinner talking about how he felt it built fine,
the body built fine. But you know he just needs
to you know, work on some of his you know,
mechanical issues and and just to be able to repeat
his delivery and be able to execute the fishes. Anytime
(08:56):
during the company when he comes to its physical uh
shape and and and strength, he seems fine. He's just
he's just not quite where he wants to be and
where we expect him to be.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Isn't it crazy, Joe that two months ago, I think
collectively we're all worried about You're going to put Spenceraghetti
out there every fifth day. You had Jake Bloss going,
you had Hunter Brown going into some innings that were
in the back half of his career that most has
ever thrown. You mentioned Blanco. And now you're going to be,
hopefully wink wink, facing some very tough decisions here in
(09:31):
the next month or so about who your starters are
going to become posts in time maybe how things could
change in such a short period of time.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
It's pretty incredible right now.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah, you know, Matt, and you know, like I'm one
of those persons that I take, I take one day
at a time. I wasn't concerned, you know, two months
ago about the talent that we had on the field.
My concern was more asking these young pitchers to do
stuff that they had never been asked to do in
the past, and that was my big concerns. But I
(10:03):
knew all on that these are very, very talented pitchers,
and it was just about being careful how much we
ask of them throughout immatere league season, right, and and
looking ahead, you know, again we are we're taking one
game at a time. We we have to put our
rotation for a good you know, against the d Backs
(10:25):
or a really good team playing really good baseball, and
then the week after that, you know, we got an
Oakland eight team who's playing well. Right, we got to
go on the road and go to San Diego and LA.
So we're trying to take one series out of time
and make sure that we put ourselves in a position
to you know, build our lead. And also you know,
(10:45):
if we are fortunate enough and blessed enough to go
in the postseason, that we are in a good position
to be healthy and put the best players on the
field and in the best position for them to succeed.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Well, thank god you grounded, Joe, because or not, we've
already got you in the World Series, so there's no
pressure on you at this point.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
You keep doing what you're doing. By the way, did
Verliner pick up the tab last? On? Who who's buying
all the meals? I mean, come on, let's let's let's
let's sell some people here. Well, the big checks that
are paying those bills, not not you.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Well, well, you know what the boss and team crane,
he took He took care of the bill. He's he
wants to make sure that you know, we we had
a good time. He understands the bond, the relationship and
the informance of us coming together at the club and
taking time just to stick down and enjoy enjoy time together.
(11:36):
We are, you know, on the on the grind every
single day, and sometimes we forget about you know, we
got to step back and take time and let's talk
about friends and families and and joke around, talk from
college football and relax a bit, because you know, it's
go go every single day and sometimes, you know, you
got to make sure that we we don't forget that
(11:59):
we that so the things that we enjoy doing well, Thank.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Guys, you guys, thank guys, you guys get along as
if I had to work with my partner here for
eighteen straight days. I want to be away from it
for like two straight days. I wouldn't want to no dinner,
no meal, no coffee with you. Come on now, Joe,
thank you for the Hey, great great run, my man,
Thank you for the visitors always. We'll talk again next week.
And good luck tonight against Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Thank you, guys, you got it.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
We'll see. That's a Joe spot of joining us from
the Natty
The Houston Astros.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Astro Astro.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
This exclusive Astros segment on Sports Talk seven ninety is
brought to you by Memorial Hermann Mettercaretta.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Let's go, Hey, Let's go guys.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Time is twelve thirty two on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
It is about Thomas Show.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Let's spend ten quality minutes with a manager of the
Houston Astros, and I have to ask him. I've been
since Ani a few times. Not a bad place, but
I don't know if I don't want to spend an
off day there.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
What did you do?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Well, Well, you know, it's we had a great off
day here in Cincinnati weather. It's us great. We took
we actually went out to had a team dinner, players
and staff, and we've got a nice opportunity to relax
and hang out and you know, spend some a few
(00:54):
hours together since we've been on a long stretch of
games here. So we had a nice evening at a
team and just kind of getting ready for this, uh this, uh,
you know, for the finish line here. You know we
are we are on the last sprint of our regular season. So, Yester,
last night was a nice night for us to just
kind of you know, recharge our strength and spend a
(01:16):
little bit of time together at the club and uh,
and get back at it today.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Well, you know what, you had a stretch of eighteen
without a day off and you survived it, played over
five hundred baseball and you played against some really good competition.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And the most important.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Thing is you continue to make up or not make up,
extend your lead in the division. So all things considered, UH,
was still some injuries to kind of fight over in
Alex Bregman's elbow and whatnot.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You couldn't have asked for much more during this three
week stretch.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, yeah, you know what. We we had. We we played,
We played well despite some injuries, and we played some
really good teams. And I couldn't be any happier of
the way the boys are grinding through through this long stretch.
And and we still got another three three weeks to go.
The guys know how important the next three weeks are.
(02:04):
And but but like you said, I just could be
any happy that way we we we got after it
for eighteen straight days.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
All Right, Let's get to the fact that it looks
like Kyle's getting.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Very, very close.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
And we've been saying that for a little while, but
it feels like it's going to be my guest, maybe
the Arizona Series.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Would that be a possibility in your mind?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, you know what, he's getting really really close. He is.
He's having another live VP today, He's running the basis today.
So I think the Arizona series is very realistic. But
I'm excited that we are actually getting really close to
getting Kyle Talker back on the field. It's you know,
(02:44):
he's recovering. Well, he's eighty five nine spring effort. It's there,
and we need to get a few a few more
days of that. And but we're really really close. I
can't you know, I can't wait to write you know,
Penzil is his name in the lineup?
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, for sure, And I'm going to assume and you look,
things could change on a daily with him. This guy,
what's been gone as long as he is. But do
you feel like you you know, you play plays a day,
takes a day off, maybe dh a little bit. If
have you kind of gone through in your mind what
the next ten games would be like once he officially
gets put on that lineup card.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah, yeah, you know, I don't think the first few
days you could you could have them in there every day.
I think you know the concern here or you know
what you're trying to protect him is again it's soft
tissues injuries like a handstring, a quad because he hasn't
ramped up, uh you know in a while. He hasn't
(03:41):
play that in a long time, so we have to
be careful how we ease him in there. So d
H is the possibility, you know, maybe the day he
doesn't start to come off the bench and be a
bat off the bench, and then we'll progress until he
could play right field. But just to have them available
off the bench, be a weapon off the bench, Dhing.
(04:04):
It's it's you know, we're talking about one of the
best players in the league. So but we're really really close.
So today is another another day that we're looking forward
to having him, you know, do his work and see
how he feels afterwards.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Managed Joe spot of joining us from Cincanni. Look, skip,
you've got a player at third base.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
But then Alex Bregman, who doesn't like to miss in
a bat, much less a game. But obviously the elbow
is not one hundred percent. He's having aware and he's
having to fight through the pain. And I'm not a doctor,
and no I play on the radio, but I'm assuming
if the season was over with tomorrow and he'd have
some kind of scope or some surgery to repair it.
But you can't do that because he wants to grind
through and play. With that being said, with you having
(04:42):
the six and a half game lead, and you know, look,
you gotta get to the finish line, and you obviously
need Alex.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
We're gonna be a big part of it. Will there
be a.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Concerned effort by you, by the training staff to maybe
give him a few days off beyond what he's already
gone through now, just so if there's anything left in
that arm come playoff time, he'll be as close to
one hundred percent at that point.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Yeah, So you know, and that's what that's what we've
done the last five days. You know, I thought that
on Monday he could have gone and played, but we
you know, having Monday and then having you know, getting
off the off Monday and then having Tuesday off, the
extra two days would have been you know, would have
been beneficial for him. So he's gonna walk in today
(05:23):
and we'll see how he feels. But he's day to
day and like you said, we don't want to miss
him for a long period of time. But we all
you know, we only have twenty four games left, so
this is something that we're going to have to day
by day explore and maneuver. How can we deal with
with the elbow inflammation for the next couple of weeks.
(05:44):
You know, yes, we will like to rest them and
be ready for the postseason, but we're not in the
postseason yet. We have to be smart for the next
couple of weeks how we get the best out of
Alex and rest them to in doing the next during
this period of time. And I think we're doing a
really good job managing that around. We gave him five
(06:05):
days off and see how it feels today, and if
it feels good today, you know, he could be he
could be in there tonight.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
And you mentioned, of course not the postseason yet, but
what is that like for you kind of looking down
the stretch and and maybe if you are going to
win the American League West and get into October, you
also guys want guys fresh from a long season, as
far as al tave Pini and others, and kind of
towing that line between giving guys some rest but also
making sure you win the games.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, you know, it's a it's a very delicate balance,
you know, uh situation that we that we are in.
You know, I think we will will we have another
off day coming up on Monday. The next couple of days,
we could get this guys, you know, a blow, but
you know, we have another fifteen games stretch here once
(06:52):
you know, next beginning beginning next Thursday. So we have
to be smart on how, you know, use our DH
spot to some of our guys, give them off days
just to get him off their feet. You know. The
work that we do prior to our game be you know,
be quality but light work where the guys are not
(07:14):
constantly taking a ton of swing a ton of ground
balls just to make sure that they're fresh for for
for the game. But it's definitely uh uh, you know,
a very delicate, you know act situation because we want it.
We're trying to win as many games as possible, but
we also want to give our guys some some rest.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Speak your rest, uh are you confirming? I don't know
if you've officially done. It's no data alluded to this
over the weekend that Ronelle's can go to the bullpen
for a while, because I know we have talked about this,
that this is a young man that has been fantastic
for you this year, but he's also going into an
innings amount that he's never reached before in his professional career.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, so so there's there, you know, that could be
a realistic option for us for over the weekend, giving Blanco,
you know, uh, skipping for start working out of the
bullpen for stuck. But I'm not ready to confirm that.
I am going to sit down here with Josh and
and in the next in the next thirty minutes, and
we're going to talk about our rotation against the d back.
(08:13):
But that's that's a strong possibility for us, just to
make sure that we we protect our starter, especially Blanco,
But you know, I'm not ready to confirm that yet.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
One hundred and seven pitches for Justin Verlander, how do
you think he is? Just looking physically as far as uh,
from a physical standpoint and also from a pitching standpoint,
what do you want to see more from him?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yeah? So, you know, physically he looks fine, He looks strong.
You know, we we we spent some time last night
doing dinner talking about how he felt it built fine,
the body built fine. But you know he just needs
to you know, work on some of his you know,
mechanical issues and and just to be able to repeat
his delivery and be able to execute the fishes. Anytime
(08:56):
during the company when he comes to its physical uh
shape and and and strength, he seems fine. He's just
he's just not quite where he wants to be and
where we expect him to be.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Isn't it crazy, Joe that two months ago, I think
collectively we're all worried about You're going to put Spenceraghetti
out there every fifth day. You had Jake Bloss going,
you had Hunter Brown going into some innings that were
in the back half of his career that most has
ever thrown. You mentioned Blanco. And now you're going to be,
hopefully wink wink, facing some very tough decisions here in
(09:31):
the next month or so about who your starters are
going to become posts in time maybe how things could
change in such a short period of time.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
It's pretty incredible right now.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah, you know, Matt, and you know, like I'm one
of those persons that I take, I take one day
at a time. I wasn't concerned, you know, two months
ago about the talent that we had on the field.
My concern was more asking these young pitchers to do
stuff that they had never been asked to do in
the past, and that was my big concerns. But I
(10:03):
knew all on that these are very, very talented pitchers,
and it was just about being careful how much we
ask of them throughout immatere league season, right, and and
looking ahead, you know, again we are we're taking one
game at a time. We we have to put our
rotation for a good you know, against the d Backs
(10:25):
or a really good team playing really good baseball, and
then the week after that, you know, we got an
Oakland eight team who's playing well. Right, we got to
go on the road and go to San Diego and LA.
So we're trying to take one series out of time
and make sure that we put ourselves in a position
to you know, build our lead. And also you know,
(10:45):
if we are fortunate enough and blessed enough to go
in the postseason, that we are in a good position
to be healthy and put the best players on the
field and in the best position for them to succeed.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Well, thank god you grounded, Joe, because or not, we've
already got you in the World Series, so there's no
pressure on you at this point.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
You keep doing what you're doing. By the way, did
Verliner pick up the tab last? On? Who who's buying
all the meals? I mean, come on, let's let's let's
let's sell some people here. Well, the big checks that
are paying those bills, not not you.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Well, well, you know what the boss and team crane,
he took He took care of the bill. He's he
wants to make sure that you know, we we had
a good time. He understands the bond, the relationship and
the informance of us coming together at the club and
taking time just to stick down and enjoy enjoy time together.
(11:36):
We are, you know, on the on the grind every
single day, and sometimes we forget about you know, we
got to step back and take time and let's talk
about friends and families and and joke around, talk from
college football and relax a bit, because you know, it's
go go every single day and sometimes, you know, you
got to make sure that we we don't forget that
(11:59):
we that so the things that we enjoy doing well, Thank.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Guys, you guys, thank guys, you guys get along as
if I had to work with my partner here for
eighteen straight days. I want to be away from it
for like two straight days. I wouldn't want to no dinner,
no meal, no coffee with you. Come on now, Joe,
thank you for the Hey, great great run, my man,
Thank you for the visitors always. We'll talk again next week.
And good luck tonight against Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Thank you, guys, you got it.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
We'll see. That's a Joe spot of joining us from
the Natty
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