Astros: Who’s the next man up in the OF with Reddick’s status unknown?

The Astros’  Josh Reddick 2nd Inning collision leaves the team wondering looking down the bench.

The Houston Astros bullpen has been tested so far this June. With starting pitching coming at a premium, now the outfield depth may be tested. In the second inning against the Texas Rangers, right fielder Josh Reddick suffered a mild concussion after colliding with the right-field wall trying to make a catch.

It’s unknown if or how long he could be out, but let’s take a look at how the Astros’ look to replace Reddick’s 6 HR and .282 batting average.

Coming off the bench

Right off the bat is every other day player Jake Marisnick. Yes, he’s normally a center fielder, but the quick fix would be to make him a steady starter in center field leave George Springer in right field and have Nori Aoki stick at left field until Reddick can return. This is the likely scenario, however, with Aoki’s struggles at the plate with his .269 batting average it doesn’t bold well for him to be an everyday answer.

Houston could potentially look at re-living the glory days of 2004 and play Carlos Beltran in the outfield, but that would be on a one or two day if necessary start as he’s been used a couple of times this season thus far. Marwin Gonzalez would be a far better option in the outfield, but just like Beltran that would be a real if necessary scenario.

Potential Call-Ups 

There is no doubt Reddick will go into MLB’s concussion protocol. The Majors have these precautions in place to prevent further issues for players. If this concussion turns out to be long term then the club will look at the minors for depth and possibly give a young player a shot. The name at the top of the list is, of course, the red-hot Derek Fisher.

As my colleges have extensively covered at Climbing Tal’s Hill and his value over Aoki here. Suffice to say we REALLY like Fisher, and for good reason. Fishers’ season for Triple-A Fresno has been absurd. He’s hitting .333 with 16 HR and 43 RBI’s including being the Astros Minor League player of the month in May.

The club could also call up Teoscar Hernandez or Preston Tucker to the roster. Hernandez is hitting .253 with 5 HR in Triple-A. Tucker, on the other hand, is having a better season hitting a respectable .262 to go along with 11 HRs for Fresno.

Next: Astros draft J.B. Bukauskas in the first round with the 15th pick!

Any potential prospect needs just one opportunity to really showcase what he can to in the show. With Reddick’s potential injury this could be that opportunity for Fisher. However, some people believe that the Astros will not want to diminish Fisher’s trade value.

***Stats from Baseball-Reference***