Not a single TOFA post?

So f..king bright.

Does Calvin Murphy know that Mike Stanton is sneaking into his closet?

It's nice to see a Buddhist on the site!

Longest winning streak since 2004 when Beltran had his first stint with the Astros. (Hard to believe that was 13 years ago)

Fiers has been generating weak contact for the last three to four starts.. he just loses his fastball and curveball over center of the plate from time to time. He's been limiting that lately.

I say send him to AAA and teach him to throw a sinker. With his pitch repertoire, a sinker that he could bury low in the strike zone would actually make him a pretty damn good pitcher.

mazag08 said:

---

I say send him to AAA and teach him to throw a sinker. With his pitch repertoire, a sinker that he could bury low in the strike zone would actually make him a pretty damn good pitcher.

---

I really like this idea - also forcing him to keep things down.

As much as we dont like Fiers, we can live with him as our #5 starter.

1. Once Morton, McHugh and Musgrove all come back he'll most likely go to the pen.
2. Come playoff time, you only start like 3 guys unless your 4th is really good. So he would only see a start if our top guys are injured.

E said:

---

As much as we dont like Fiers, we can live with him as our #5 starter.

1. Once Morton, McHugh and Musgrove all come back he'll most likely go to the pen.
2. Come playoff time, you only start like 3 guys unless your 4th is really good. So he would only see a start if our top guys are injured.

---

Which is why we will be heavy favorites to win it all if we can pick up a stud 3rd starter.

John E said:

---

E said:

---

As much as we dont like Fiers, we can live with him as our #5 starter.

1. Once Morton, McHugh and Musgrove all come back he'll most likely go to the pen.
2. Come playoff time, you only start like 3 guys unless your 4th is really good. So he would only see a start if our top guys are injured.

---

Which is why we will be heavy favorites to win it all if we can pick up a stud 3rd starter.

---

We already are heavy favorites to win it all, but I agree. It would move the needle even more.

E said:

---

As much as we dont like Fiers, we can live with him as our #5 starter.

1. Once Morton, McHugh and Musgrove all come back he'll most likely go to the pen.
2. Come playoff time, you only start like 3 guys unless your 4th is really good. So he would only see a start if our top guys are injured.

---

Agreed but how good does your rotation look with another front line stater and mchugh/morton being your 4th and 5th starters? Get another bullpen arm if you can swing the trade and you are set

Any updates on how those three guys are doing? How close is McHugh?

Hulla Baller said:

---

Any updates on how those three guys are doing? How close is McHugh?

---

They said last night McHugh is still a ways off. He's throwing 20-30 pitches off the mound (FBs only) and needs a bit more work before he can start a rehab assignment. Sounded good but not really what I would call close.

Did I hear correctly that Morton will make his start this weekend?

I wonder if our dominance will help soften the market for starting pitching at the deadline.

For example, how many teams would be willing to unload their top prospects for Gerrit Cole, knowing the Astros would still be the favorite this year?

Musgrove update...


http://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Joe-Musgrove-progressing-toward-return-to-Astros-11197816.php

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --- Joe Musgrove hopes to pitch off a mound in a bullpen session Thursday, which if accomplished without a setback could pave the way for his return to the Astros' rotation on Sunday.

Musgrove, who will miss a second consecutive start Tuesday because of shoulder inflammation, played catch for the first time in a week Monday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. After throwing from only 70 and 90 feet Monday, he said he planned to increase his distance, volume and intensity on Tuesday.

"It felt really good," he said. "It was really simple ... just kind of trying to get back in that motion of throwing. Not much intensity behind it, not much volume but just something real minor to get the arm going again."

Musgrove will avoid having to go on a minor league rehab assignment if he progresses enough to throw his bullpen session Thursday. He couldn't throw over the weekend after getting a cortisone shot Thursday to calm the inflammation in his shoulder. An MRI he had last week gave him the peace of mind of knowing that nothing is structurally wrong with his shoulder.

Musgrove had a 4.89 ERA in 10 starts before going on the disabled list on May 30. He first felt discomfort when playing catch last week during the Astros' series in Minnesota.

Deluxe said:

---

I wonder if our dominance will help soften the market for starting pitching at the deadline.

For example, how many teams would be willing to unload their top prospects for Gerrit Cole, knowing the Astros would still be the favorite this year?

---

It won't... It will always be a sellers market thanks to the 2 wild cards now. Way too many teams will feel like they can compete.

I really wish the Astros rebuild had happened during the 2 wild card era. May have even gotten more.