Manager Dusty Baker told reporters Thursday he wished Jake Meyers stayed in Triple-A Sugar Land after his 20-day rehab window closed in June. The reason was just. Meyers' offensive numbers weren't stellar, leaving the veteran skipper to believe his center fielder needed more at-bats in return from shoulder surgery.
Meyers has played in 37 games since he was activated from the injured list in late June. And while starting the most games in center field among himself, Mauricio Dubón and Chas McCormick, he's displaying the worst slash line of the three.
In over a month since his return, Meyers is slashing a .588 OPS through 127 trips to the plate. He is striking out a third of his plate appearances and walking nearly four percent of the time.
But with consistent play, Meyers' power and consistency are expected to return in the Astros' eyes. He is returning from a shoulder surgery that sidelined him from October until June, leaving one to believe the adjustment isn't coming easy for Meyers.
The Astros are atop the American League, but the usual offensive contributors aren't performing to their norm. With a large lead in the West, Houston has time to kick start players, but the club isn't filling lineup cards the way many expect it to.
McCormick isn't starting against left-handed starting pitchers nor taking starts in center field in lieu of a struggling Meyers. And since the Astros aren't granting much trust to McCormick in center field, could the front office consider a veteran for a September call up?
The Astros signed Lewis Brinson during spring training to a minor league contract as veteran insurance to the center field position. The former first-round pick has fluctuated offensively with two injuries springing up, but on the season, he entered Thursday with an .893 OPS for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, ending the day at .919.
Pacific Coast League numbers don't translate to the Major Leagues instantly. The elevated playing grounds lead to inflated slash lines and monstrous home runs videos on the internet.
And Brinson did just that in his first at-bat against the El Paso Chihuahuas on Thursday. The righty belted a 440-foot home run at 111.1 mph off his bat for his 17th home run of the season.
In his final at-bat of the night, Brinson continued to take advantage of the hitters' paradise and smack a second home run. This time it was only 374 feet at 99.2 mph.
Defensively, Brinson has played all three outfield positions this summer. The righty has seen his most action in right field with 27 starts while he has also picked up 21 starts in center field, including nine innings Thursday. And since Pedro León's injury, Brinson has started three of the four games in center field.
While Brinson turns heads with his towering shots, his strikeouts are still a worry. The 28-year-old has struck 28 percent of his plate appearances this season but has also displayed an improved walk rate.
But this isn't the plate discipline to write home about, especially for a veteran of Brinson's status. Without options, Brinson's chances of being evaluated as a contributor on the active roster are slim, unless an injury arises.
The 40-man roster is full, and although the Astros carried three center fielders last September, Brinson is playing himself into an option if Houston truly needs him. But Meyers is seen as the future, and with the Astros contending, he needs to progress to his contributions pre-injury 2021 which granted him a consistent role in center field.
For Brinson, he would likely elect free agency this winter with his success offering a Major League case to another franchise. But for the betterment of the future, Brinson will wait in the wings, but as Meyers hasn't shown any sign of progression, it may behoove the Astros to weigh the possibility.
More must-reads: