The Astros have placed outfielder J.D. Martinez on the 15-day disabled list and recalled Robbie Grossman from AAA Oklahoma City. Martinez left Friday’s game in Toronto with an injured left wrist after going 2 for 3 at the plate.
Martinez, who has been one of the few bright spots for Houston during an otherwise dismal month of July, was “very frustrated” with the timing of the injury. J.D. missed Wednesday’s game after an outfield collision with Justin Maxwellleft him with a bruised left hip. But J.D. was back in the lineup on Thursday and continued to swing a hot bat until the latest injury put him back on the shelf.
Robbie Grossman and J.D. Martinez (Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)
Grossman went 3 for 4 tonight from the leadoff spot in the RedHawks’ 10-6 win over Iowa. He also had a 5-hit game on Saturday and has continued to demonstrate excellent on-base skills at the AAA level. The problem is Grossman hasn’t been able to duplicate that success in the big leagues.
Robbie hit only .198/.310/.243 in a 28-game stint with Houston earlier in the season. It was the first taste of big league action for the switch-hitting outfielder. The Astros hope that the second time around will yield better results for the 23-year old.
Marc Krauss had a big night for the Astros on Friday and figures to battle with Grossman for playing time. Krauss went 2 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs, raising his average to .205 for the year. It will be interesting to see if the Astros choose to go with Krauss for his power or Grossman for his defense and on-base skills.