Astros' Chas McCormick: Handling short-side platoon role
Rotowire
McCormick will start in center field and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Red Sox.
McCormick will pick up his third consecutive start and his second straight start against a left-handed pitcher (Garrett Crochet) after going 2-for-6 with two doubles and one walk in the final two contests of the Astros' weekend series versus the Yankees. The Astros appear to be treating the right-handed-hitting McCormick as a short-side platoon player, as the left-handed-hitting Taylor Trammell has typically seen most of the starts in center field against righties of late.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Notches steal Monday
Rotowire
McCormick went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 6-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
McCormick has gone 3-for-11 with four strikeouts over three games since returning from an oblique strain that had kept him out since late May. The outfielder has started two of those games, both in center field, which will put some pressure on Taylor Trammell for playing time until Jake Meyers (calf) is able to return. For the season, McCormick is slashing .259/.333/.296 with no home runs, two RBI, nine runs scored and two steals on five attempts through 64 plate appearances. If he can't get his bat going, McCormick could eventually be limited to filling in as a fourth outfielder once the Astros are healthier.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Returns from IL
Rotowire
The Astros reinstated McCormick (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
McCormick played six games in the minors while working his way back from a left oblique strain that has plagued him since May, going 4-for-23 with two homers, four RBI, four runs scored and a steal. Now healthy, he'll provide some depth to an Astros outfield unit that has been decimated by injuries. However, his .649 OPS in the bigs this year isn't likely to buy him regular playing time. Kenedy Corona was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Ready for rehab assignment
Rotowire
McCormick (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
McCormick has been shelved since late May with a left oblique strain but is finally ready to test things out in game action. If all goes well, he has a shot for activation from the 10-day injured list prior to the All-Star break. McCormick was playing sparingly before getting hurt and that's unlikely to change upon his return.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Live at-bats coming
Rotowire
McCormick (oblique) will report to the Astros' spring facility in Florida to face live pitching this week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The 30-year-old landed on the shelf in late May due to an oblique strain but is now nearing the final stages of his rehab program. Manager Joe Espada indicated previously that McCormick would require a rehab assignment before returning from the 10-day injured list, which will likely be the next step if the outfielder faces live pitching with no issues.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Nearing next step
Rotowire
McCormick (oblique) is likely to face live pitching within the next week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
McCormick has been on the injured list since May 31 and resumed swinging Friday. He's still a way away from being activated, however, as manager Joe Espada said McCormick will require a rehab assignment.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Starts swinging
Rotowire
McCormick (oblique) hit off a tee Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
It's the first update on McCormick since the Astros placed him on the 10-day injured list May 31 due to a strained left oblique. While it's encouraging to see him begin swinging a bat, McCormick likely still has more hurdles to clear before being activated.
The Astros placed McCormick on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a left oblique strain, retroactive to Friday.
McCormick has gone 4-for-18 with two RBI and two runs scored since the start of May, but he'll now be unavailable for at least the next nine days while he recovers from his strained oblique. Shay Whitcomb will come up from Triple-A Sugar Land to fill the open roster spot.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Scores three runs in rare start
Rotowire
McCormick went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored Sunday against the Royals.
McCormick made just his seventh start of the season and hit ninth in the order. He led off the third and fifth innings with hits and came around to score on each occasion. McCormick is now 7-for-22 on the campaign.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Makes sixth start
Rotowire
McCormick went 1-for-2 Wednesday against the Blue Jays.
McCormick appeared to be splitting with Jake Meyers in center field to begin the season, but his role has faded significantly of late. He was in the lineup for just the sixth time this season Wednesday, and he was removed for a pinch hitter in the sixth frame.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Started three of last four
Rotowire
McCormick went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored Wednesday against the Giants.
McCormick was reportedly on the roster bubble to close spring training, and he started only one of Houston's first four games. However, he's now manned center field in three of the team's last four matchups, costing Jake Meyers playing time. The duo seems likely to continue to split playing time for the foreseeable future, limiting the potential fantasy value of both players.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Being pressured for roster spot
Rotowire
McCormick could be optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to begin the season, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
McCormick has slashed .161/.409/.290 across 31 Grapefruit League at-bats, leading Rome to describe McCormick's role as the team's starter in right field as "tenuous at best." Several alternatives also appear to be on the table, including a demotion to Triple-A Sugar Land or being pushed to a reserve role. If McCormick loses playing time, Zach Dezenzo or Cam Smith would benefit.
McCormick is likely to begin the season as Houston's starting right fielder, but he will be on a short leash, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCormick had a very disappointing 2024 season, maintaining only a 66 wRC+ across 267 plate appearances. Due to Houston's lack of offseason additions in the outfield, he's likely to maintain a starting role by default, though he'll need to return to the form he showcased earlier in his career to maintain that status. McTaggart named Taylor Trammell (calf) as a potential playing time winner should McCormick continue to struggle.
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Astros' Chas McCormick: Settles at $3.4 million
Rotowire
The Astros and McCormick avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.4 million contract Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
McCormick was arbitration-eligible this winter for the second time. The outfielder cratered to a .576 OPS in 94 regular-season games in 2024 following an .842 OPS in 2023. McCormick currently appears in line for regular playing time in 2025, although the Astros might not be done making roster additions.
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