Astros: 2 players that could be DFA’d for Marwin Gonzalez’s return

With a Marwin Gonzalez’s reunion coming”real soon,” which Astro is on his way out?

On Thursday, Marwin Gonzalez told Mark Berman of Fox 26 News that he is “going to be back with the team soon, real soon.” The Houston Astros promoted the switch-hitter to the Sugar Land Skeeters on Thursday, after a week with the FCL Astros at the Spring Training facilities in West Palm Beach.

Gonzalez’s return would likely come with a corresponding move, but in the mean time, the Astros are not at a full 40-man roster. Zack Greinke and Taylor Jones are both on the 10-day injured list due to health and safety protocol, which removes them from the 40-man.

If Gonzalez stands out this weekend with the Skeeters, his promotion could be inevitable, as the roster isn’t full. When promoted, the utility man would likely take the active roster spot of either a bullpen arm or that of Robel Garcia.

The rosters are expanded to 28 for all of September, leaving Houston optimal time to assess the current status of Gonzalez. The 32-year-old is eligible for the postseason roster, as he was signed before Sept. 1, but his spot in October isn’t a given.

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With that in mind, the two players that could be in-line for a DFA would be either Robel Garcia, who is currently on the active roster, and Jacob Wilson, who recently sustained a concussion in Triple-A.

The case is heavily in favor for Garcia, as the switch-hitter has more versatility than that of Wilson. As Wilson will probably not be out for that much longer, a 60-day IL stint would not be necessary, while it wouldn’t benefit the Astros’ checkbook and future plans.

Wilson has been DFA’d once before this season while with the Oakland A’s, and if come to it, he could see the same with the Astros.

If the front office takes a different route and keeps both infielders around for minor-league, optionable depth, then they could evaluate the timetables on pitchers like Rafael Montero and Pedro Baez. Both pitchers’ statuses have not been updated, while a possible 60-day IL trip could be in their futures.