The Houston Astros are playing a game of survival before the MLB All-Star break.
Houston is in great shape in the American League West, holding a 6.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners entering Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. But with Jeremy Peña, Yordan Alvarez, Luis Garcia, and Cristian Javier on the injured list, the Astros are crawling to the break and hoping to get reinforcements in the second half.
While each return will be a step in the right direction, there are some players the Astros may not want to have back. That includes an infielder who was brought in last winter but hasn’t lived up to his expectations, potentially leading to a ticket out of Houston after the break.
Astros Should Pull the Plug on Brendan Rodgers Experiment After All-Star Break
The Astros had a galaxy brain moment last winter when they decided to move Jose Altuve to left field. A nine-time All-Star, seven-time silver slugger, and former MVP at second base, the move left a hole in the Astros' infield that they hoped would be filled by Brendan Rodgers.
Signed to a one-year, $2 million contract, Rodgers was a former Gold Glove winner with the Colorado Rockies in 2022 and put up a respectable .267/.314/.407 line with 13 homers and 54 RBIs last season. If Rodgers stayed healthy and Altuve acclimated to the outfield, the move could be a success; however, it has flopped for a few reasons.
Altuve struggled at his new position, logging a minus-8 in defensive runs saved in 37 games. But despite a respectable plus-2 in the same metric at second base, Rodgers hasn’t held up his end of the bargain at the plate. In 43 games, Rodgers is slashing .191/.266/.278 with two homers and 11 RBIs. His .544 OPS is the seventh-lowest among second basemen with at least 100 plate appearances this season, and he was placed on the injured list with an oblique injury last month.
Rodgers’s defense could be enough to keep him around, but Houston has already moved Altuve back to second base and has a solid backup option in utilityman Mauricio Dubón. While he could be used in case more injuries pop up for Houston, Rodgers feels like he’s already worn out his welcome and frustrated the fan base.
With several players on the mend, Rodgers may have a short period of time to prove he belongs on a playoff roster when he comes off the injured list. If that doesn’t happen, he could be on his way out and leave Houston with a mulligan for next offseason.