The Houston Astros are entering an important crossroads over the next week. The Astros have endured a slew of injuries to stay atop the American League West Division. The trade deadline represents an opportunity to make the team even stronger when Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez return to the lineup. It creates a stressful time for general manager Dana Brown, but also to the players on the field.
While some players are in it for the rest of the years, others are still looking to show that they belong. It’s left a journeyman looking to stay a little longer with his current team and with one week to prove that he can be part of a contender in the second half of the season.
Cooper Hummel Has Big Chance to Prove Himself Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline
Cooper Hummel has been everywhere this season and we’re not talking about his ability to play at first base or the outfield. The 30-year-old has bounced around the major leagues since the year began, spending time with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. But he showed his best chance to stick with the Astros with a hot performance out of the gate.
Hummel’s previous stint with the Astros came in June when he was claimed off waivers from the Orioles. In his first 18 games, Hummel held his own, hitting .244/.404/.390 with a pair of home runs including a game-winning blast off Ranger Suárez in a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on June 24. The performance had Astros manager Joe Espada praising Hummel’s performance and crediting him as part of a group of players that have kept Houston afloat through their injury woes.
“I feel like it’s the next-man-up mentality,” Espada said via Astros beat writer Steve Schaeffer. “It’s like everyone is finding a way to help win games. Good teams do that. We need that. It’s contagious. Those guys in there, they want to be in the game. They’ll look at me like ‘When am I going to get my spot so I can do something to help contribute? I love that about this team.”
But Hummel cooled off since the 18-game stretch, with a .067/.152/.067 line in the past 11 games. While the low slugging percentage in the initial run was cause for concern, his struggles over the past two weeks have put him back on the chopping block.
Christian Walker has struggled this season but he’s not going anywhere in the first year of a three-year contract. Chas McCormick was welcomed back to the lineup after recovering from an oblique injury but finding outfield help should be one of the Astros’ top priorities with Jake Myers on the shelf with a calf injury.
Even if the Astros choose to add a left-handed second baseman to keep Jose Altuve in left field, Hummel could be a victim of the numbers game with Peña expected to return by the end of the month and Alvarez trending toward a return in the coming weeks.
It gives Hummel another week to prove he belongs and find a way to stick on a major league roster.