The Astros list of injured players seems to be growing at an alarming rate. Aledmys Diaz is the latest to join the list and Jack Mayfield is called up.
In yesterday’s loss to the Boston Red Sox, Aledmys Diaz took an awkward, quick side step toward home plate while scoring in the first inning. He immediately grabbed for his hamstring, a scene we’ve watched way too often lately. The Astros have called up infielder Jack Mayfield to fill in.
It appears that it’s inevitable Diaz will be added to the 10-day Injured List, joining fellow position players Max Stassi, Jose Altuve, and George Springer, the latter two also with hamstring issues. Diaz had missed a few games last week with hamstring discomfort, but unlike this time, he avoided the IL.
According to Jake Kaplan of The Athletic, the Astros have called on the services of Jack Mayfield. He’s been called up from the AAA Round Rock Express to fill the empty spot in the infield. He has experience at several positions in the infield giving the Astros flexibility with the lineup. Mayfield is hitting a respectable .284 and has 10 home runs, 31 RBIs and 34 runs scored.
The Astros are calling up infielder Jack Mayfield from Triple A to fill Aledmys Díaz's spot on the active roster, sources tell The Athletic.
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) May 27, 2019
This is Mayfield’s first callup since joining the Astros Minor League system as an undrafted free agent back in 2013. He’ll be filling the final spot on the Houston’s 40-man roster.
But I do wonder, is it really worth bringing someone up for just one, maybe, two days? With a day off right around the corner and a couple more in mid-June, there is another option that could be considered. Go with a 12-man pitching staff for a few weeks instead of the current 13-man complement, until the team gets healthier.
Whatever the Astros decide to do, I do know one thing. It’s getting a little wearisome and worrisome writing a lot of articles recently about injuries to players. Is there an issue with the team’s strengthening and conditioning program? Hopefully, I can concentrate more on supplying you with more positive articles and we can get over this injury hump soon.