Astros: Are Jake Marisnick and Evan Gattis on the Clock?

After a series loss in the Desert, Astros fans are worried there is not enough being done to help this team win games.

Even though the bullpen has been less than stellar, the offense continues to struggle at times, most notably Jake Marisnick and Evan Gattis. This begs the question, are these players on the clock? In June, could the Astros bring up their top hitting prospect?

Lacking Production from Evan

There have been times when the Astros have runners in scoring position, and Gattis has been unable to drive in the runs. Gattis is batting .208 with RISP and .182 with RISP and two outs. For fans, this is not enough. He now carries a .186 batting average, with six extra-base hits (including a home run) and eight RBIs. The spotlight hits Gattis hard, as he is the designated hitter. When you are in play to merely hit, you’re expected to hit.

The Struggles Continue for Jake

In 72 at-bats, Marisnick has struck out 36 times. He carries a .167 batting average, with five extra-base hits (three home runs) and 7 RBIs. He faced some tough times with a robbed home run, but it doesn’t hide the struggles Marisnick is having at the plate. Last year, we saw powerful potential for Marisnick. However, it has not shown this season. The strikeouts are high, and the production is low.

The Utility of Them

In contrast, the defense flexibility of Gattis and Marisnick are very different. Gattis can pinch-hit, although he is struggling. He also can catch if necessary. However, Marisnick can pitch run, play every outfield place and pinch-hit if needed. The issue becomes, what is the trade-off?

Although both are slumping, Marisnick has not always boasted a strong bat. Gattis has seen better plate appearances, but the performance isn’t stacking up with the role. However, last year Carlos Beltran also struggled. Perhaps the issue is the fact such strong hitters surround the DH. That’s crazy, right?

What do we do?

Players like Tyler White, Tony Kemp, J.D. Davis and others are itching for their chance at the big-league level. A.J. Reed has expressed disappointment with his lack of MLB play, so there is a storm looming. The Astros must make decisions to give an opportunity to these guys, while also maintaining the team’s best interests in mind.

Next: Time to compete in the (Oakland) Coliseum

All in all, we will be working through this slump and these questions together. The best thing we can do is rely on the organization. They know what they’re doing.

***Stats and Data provided by MLB.com and Rotowire.com***