Bregman's rehab extended; Báez activated

HOUSTON -- Astros starting third baseman Alex Bregman will head back out on a Minor League rehab assignment later this week, manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday. Bregman has been out since June 16 with a strained quadriceps muscle, but isn’t quite ready to rejoin the Major League club. He also dealt with some hamstring soreness during his rehab.

Bregman came to Houston on Sunday after playing back-to-back rehab games at Triple-A Sugar Land following the conclusion of his 20-day rehab window. The rules state Bregman must sit out five days before beginning another rehab stint, which could start as soon as Friday for Sugar Land.

General manager James Click said Bregman’s quadriceps muscle is "fine," but the team wants to make sure he’s completely ready to play before returning to the club.

“He’s working on getting his timing back,” Click said. “He’ll be fine. Ultimately, this was just a move we had to make because of the way the rehab calendar works with Major League Baseball. He’s feeling great. We’re just going to make sure his timing is 100 percent back, his legs are 100 percent beneath him. He’s been gone for almost eight weeks, so when you’re down for that long, sometimes it takes a little time just to get your rhythm back and timing in the box. That’s all we’re working on at this point.”

Bregman was hitting .275/.359/.428 with seven homers and 34 RBIs in 59 games before he came down with the injury. Abraham Toro filled in at third base before he was traded to the Mariners last month, and Aledmys Díaz has since played mostly third, though his strength is coming off the bench and playing four different positions.

Báez joins Astros bullpen for first time
Veteran right-hander Pedro Báez, the Astros’ biggest offseason free agent acquisition, will finally get on a mound in a Houston uniform after being activated from the 60-day injured list prior to Tuesday’s game against the Rockies at Minute Maid Park.

Báez came down with COVID-19 during Spring Training and spent much of the year rehabbing from a shoulder injury. He began his Minor League rehab assignment July 15 and made eight appearances at two levels, posting a 2.00 ERA in nine innings. He last pitched Thursday at Sugar Land.

“We’re glad to have Báez back,” Baker said. “We hope we get the Báez that we signed, and so the only way to find that out is to put him on the mound.”

Báez’s fastball velocity has reportedly been 90-92 mph during his rehab assignment, which is a couple ticks lower than the 94 mph he averaged last year. The Astros have added Kendall Graveman, Yimi Garcia, Phil Maton and Rafael Montero to their bullpen in the last weeks, though Montero has since landed on the IL with shoulder discomfort. Still, it’s unclear how Baker plans to use Báez.

“I think the most important thing for me is to get outs,” Báez said. “The velocity will come after. It’s been a long time since I’ve been competing. For right now, I’m focused on getting outs and little by little the velocity will start coming back.”

Báez, has appeared in 355 games in relief in seven years with the Dodgers, posting a 3.03 ERA with a 1.096 WHIP and 131 ERA+. He threw 17 innings in last year’s shortened season and gave up six earned runs with seven walks and 13 strikeouts. In his 31 career playoff appearances, which ranks second in the Majors since 2014, he has a 3.99 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings pitched, limiting hitters to a .210 average.