Alex Bregman’s status as the Houston Astros‘ regular third baseman is uncertain moving forward because of swelling in his right elbow. Bregman on Wednesday told reporters, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that his capacity to play the field the rest of the way will be “kind of a fluid situation” thanks to those elbow issues.
“Some little gremlins in there are causing some swelling that I’m just going to have to try to mitigate through the rest of the year and keep the swelling out,” Bregman said.
Bregman will work out at first base soon, manager Joe Espada said Thursday (via The Athletic). It’s possible he will play first in a game at some point during the team’s seven-game road trip through Baltimore and Philadelphia, which begins Thursday.
The two-time All-Star also emphasized that there is no structural damage to the UCL in his right elbow and that throwing and swinging the bat does not presently cause discomfort. Bregman was recently out of the lineup for almost a week and then returned on Wednesday as the designated hitter. The elbow issues may mean occasional or even primary DH duty for Bregman, at least for the time being, and that in turn would mean Yordan Alvarez would be forced to play the outfield more regularly than is optimal. Shay Whitcomb was Houston’s regular third baseman while Bregman was out, and Zach Dezenzo may also see time at the position.
Also of note is that the 30-year-old Bregman is a pending free agent. He entered this season with seven years of MLB service time, and he’s in the final year of the five-year, $100 million extension he signed prior to the 2020 season. No doubt these elbow issues will be part of the winter calculus for Bregman suitors. This season, Bregman hasn’t quite lived up to his established standards at the plate, but he’s still been productive. In 117 games for Houston, he’s slashed .261/.318/.450 (116 OPS+) with 20 home runs and 25 doubles. Coming into 2024, he boasted a career OPS+ of 135. That said, Bregman’s production has trended up sharply in the second half of this season.
Bregman’s elbow woes also must be considered in terms of the Astros’ ongoing efforts to prevail in the American League West. Going into Thursday’s slate of games, the Astros have a 68-58 record and a five-game lead over the second-place Seattle Mariners. SportsLine presently gives Houston a 92.1% chance of reaching the postseason. They’ve made it at least as far as the American League Championship Series in each of the last seven seasons.
