The Houston Astros are focused on evening their series with the St. Louis Cardinals, a goal that comes as their catcher, Yainer Diaz, is grappling with a pronounced slump in his offensive performance. Diaz's absence from the starting lineup in the initial game of the series underscored his recent difficulties. Both teams have confirmed their pitching rotations for the next encounter, while the Cardinals have also shared news of a significant injury to one of their pitchers.
Houston's catcher, Yainer Diaz, found himself out of the starting lineup for Friday's game, where the Astros faced a 9-4 defeat against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals in the first match of their interleague series. Despite the Astros' generally strong offensive showing this season, leading the American League in various categories, Diaz's individual performance has been challenging. Since his last multi-hit game on April 4 against the Athletics, spanning eight games, his batting average has dropped to .094, with an identical on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .188.
For the entire season, Diaz, who is 27 years old, holds a batting average of .186, with one home run and nine runs batted in. Astros manager Joe Espada has indicated that the team is collaborating with Diaz to adjust his approach at the plate. Espada emphasized the importance of reminding hitters of their inherent tendencies, noting that Diaz has always been an aggressive swing-taker. While acknowledging that swinging at every strike is impractical, Espada highlighted that focusing on specific areas of the plate where Diaz excels could significantly improve his offensive output.
Looking ahead to Saturday's game, right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 5.87 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Astros. McCullers has not factored into the decision in his last two outings, during which he surrendered nine runs on ten hits and five walks, alongside eight strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings, both resulting in Houston losses. His season debut on March 30 against the Boston Red Sox was far more impressive, as he allowed just one run on four hits and one walk, striking out nine batters over seven innings. This upcoming game marks McCullers' first career start against the Cardinals. In 18 previous interleague starts, he has accumulated a 6-7 record with a 4.32 ERA and 90 strikeouts across 93 2/3 innings.
For the Cardinals, right-hander Andre Pallante (1-1, 4.80 ERA) is slated to start on Saturday. Pallante's recent performance against the Red Sox on Sunday saw him give up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and one walk, with two strikeouts, in five innings, tripling the earned runs he had allowed in his first two starts combined. His season debut against the New York Mets on March 31 was a shutout performance over five innings. In his two career appearances (one start) against the Astros, Pallante holds an 0-1 record with a 16.20 ERA. His lone start against Houston on June 4, 2024, resulted in an 8-5 road loss, where he allowed six runs on six hits and three walks, with one strikeout, in three innings.
In other news, the Cardinals announced on Friday that right-hander Richard Fitts underwent season-ending surgery to address a right lat strain, which had previously placed him on the minor league injured list. Fitts joined the Cardinals from Boston as part of the trade that sent right-hander Sonny Gray to the Red Sox during the offseason. Across two seasons with the Red Sox, Fitts posted a 2-5 record with a 3.97 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts). This season, he made three starts with Triple-A Memphis, achieving a 2-0 record with a 1.76 ERA before his injury. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol expressed disappointment over Fitts' injury, noting that he was a player the team had planned to rely on for innings and support throughout the year, highlighting his potential and competitive spirit.