HOUSTON ASTROS NEWS

Chas McCormick - Tallies 16th RBI McCormick went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored Friday against the White Sox.

Impact McCormick was in the lineup for only the third time in the last nine games, and he hit eighth while playing center field. He delivered an RBI single and came around to score in the sixth inning as part of a nine-run rally for Houston. Since the start of June, McCormick is hitting .174 with a 34.6 percent strikeout rate in 23 at-bats.

JUNE 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Framber Valdez - Earns another quality start Valdez (7-3) earned the win against the White Sox on Friday, going six innings and allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out seven and walking none.

Impact Valdez continued a dominant season on Friday, earning his 11th quality start of the year and his 10th in a row. He was efficient, throwing 66 of 91 pitches for strikes. Although he did allow eight hits in the game, Valdez was able to limit the damage to three runs and benefitted from an offensive explosion from his own team. The lefty will carry a 2.78 ERA into his next outing.

JUNE 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Yuli Gurriel - Perfect at the plate Gurriel went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and an additional run scored in Friday's victory over the White Sox.

Impact Gurriel picked up his solo shot in the bottom of the second inning off Lucas Giolito, then came around to score on Michael Brantley's grand slam in the sixth. The first baseman has at least one hit in his last eight games. The three-hit outing raised Gurriel's batting average to .229, the highest it has been since May 22.

JUNE 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Kyle Tucker - Solo shot in win Tucker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an RBI double and an additional run scored in Friday's win over the White Sox.

Impact After a slow start to the year, Tucker has picked things up in June, slashing .340/.426/.678 this month. His home run in Friday's game was his fifth this month and his 13th this year. Tucker has picked up a hit in all 14 games in June and is on a 15-game hit streak overall. The outfielder has improved his season batting average from .239 to .264 over that stretch.

JUNE 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Yordan Alvarez - Productive day at the plate Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, an RBI single and an additional run scored in Friday's win over the White Sox.

Impact Alvarez's sixth-inning homer sent Alex Bregman home and was the fourth of five home runs for the Astros on Friday. It was the outfielder's 18th home run of the season, tied for fourth best in baseball. Alvarez has been impressive this month, with a hit in 11 of 14 games, including eight with multiple hits, good for a .471 June batting average and a 1.372 OPS.

JUNE 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Alex Bregman - Crosses the plate three times Bregman went 1-for-3 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored in Friday's win over the White Sox.

Impact Bregman launched a two-run blast to center in the top of the first to give the Astros an early lead. He picked up two more runs in the sixth inning, scoring once on a throwing error and again on a Yordan Alvarez homer. Hopefully for Bregman, the Astros and fantasy managers this was a sign of things to come, as it was his first home run since May 23. The third baseman is slashing just .180/.305/.300 this month.

JUNE 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Michael Brantley - Hits grand slam in win Brantley went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and an additional run scored in Friday's victory over the White Sox.

Impact Alex Bregman knocked in Brantley on a home run in the first inning, then Brantley launched one of his own in the sixth. His grand slam sent Yuli Gurriel, Aledmys Diaz and Chas McCormick home and extended Houston's lead to 10-3. The veteran outfielder is on a 12-game hit streak, including seven multi-hit games, all of which have come in June. Brantley has a 1.108 OPS in June and is slashing .302/.384/.439 on the season.

JUNE 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Astros bring 1-0 series advantage over White Sox into game 2

The Houston Astros lead 1-0 in a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox

JUNE 18, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Royals top A's 5-1 in battle of baseball's two worst teams

Daniel Lynch had a career-high 10 strikeouts in five innings to win for the first time in nearly two months, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Oakland Athletics 5-1 on Friday nig...

JUNE 18, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

10-run 6th powers Astros' rout of White Sox HOUSTON -- The Astros erupted for their biggest offensive output in an inning in more than five years in the 13-3 victory Friday night at Mi...

JUNE 18, 2022 • MLB.COM

Brantley's slam highlights 10-run 6th as Astros down Chisox

Michael Brantley’s grand slam was one of three homers in a 10-run sixth inning that propelled the Houston Astros to a 13-3 win over the Chicago White Sox

JUNE 18, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

White Sox 3B Moncada leaves game with hamstring tightness

Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada left a game against the Houston Astros in the third inning with tightness in his left hamstring

JUNE 18, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros FREE LIVE STREAM (6/17/22): Watch MLB on Apple TV+ | Time, TV, channel The Houston Astros face the Chicago White Sox in a regular season game on Friday, June 17, 2022 (6/17/22) at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Te...

JUNE 17, 2022 • NJ.COM

Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. takes another step in his recovery Lance McCullers Jr. threw a bullpen session from the Minute Maid Park game mound with...

JUNE 17, 2022 • HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM

Jeremy Peña - Taking part in some baseball work Pena (thumb) is participating in baseball activities, though he's not yet fielding groundballs or swinging a bat, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Impact The 24-year-old landed on the injured list Wednesday with left thumb discomfort, so it's a good early sign he wasn't completely shut down from baseball activities. Pena isn't expected resume swinging a bat for at least a week, so he shouldn't be expected to return from the 10-day injured list when first eligible June 24.

JUNE 17, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Lance McCullers Jr. - Up to 91 mph McCullers' (forearm) fastball was up to 91 mph Friday and he began throwing curveballs off flat ground earlier this week, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Impact These were each big steps for McCullers, as he was at 87 mph with his fastball two weeks ago and had yet to throw his curveball during his rehab. It seems like he will continue with his throwing program in a controlled environment, but now that he is throwing all of his pitches and his velocity is ticking above 90 mph on his fastball, a rehab assignment may not be too far down the road.

JUNE 17, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Jose Siri - Gets breather Friday Siri isn't starting Friday against the White Sox.

Impact Siri went 1-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a strikeout in Wednesday's win over the Rangers but will be out of the lineup for the third time in the last four games. Chas McCormick is starting in center field and batting eighth.

JUNE 17, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

MLB's Best Brothers: Willson, William Contreras top the list of duos

Willson and William Contreras top Jordan Shusterman's rankings of the best brother combos in MLB. Check out the full list!

JUNE 17, 2022

Astros vs White Sox Prediction, Odds, Moneyline, Spread & Over/Under for June 17 Friday's slate in the MLB includes a matchup between the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox. We've got you covered, in terms of the vi...

JUNE 17, 2022 • FANDUEL.COM

White Sox vs. Astros prediction, betting odds for MLB on Friday The Houston Astros take on the Chicago White Sox in MLB on Friday. This preview is based on 10K simulations of the game.

JUNE 17, 2022 • PENNLIVE.COM

Moncada leads White Sox against the Astros following 5-hit performance

The Chicago White Sox take on the Houston Astros after Yoán Moncada had five hits against the Tigers on Wednesday

JUNE 17, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Forrest Whitley - Makes rehab start in FCL Whitley (elbow) struck out two over two innings and was charged with three earned runs on three hits and two walks in a rehab start Thursday with the Astros' rookie-level Florida C...

Impact Whitley's numbers are indicative of some rust, but that was to be expected after he hadn't made an appearance in affiliated ball since Sept. 2, 2019. Arm troubles prevented him from joining the Astros during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, and he missed the entire 2021 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March. Now 15 months removed from surgery, Whitley should gradually work deeper into his rehab starts and ideally show improved command before likely settling into the Triple-A Sugar Land rotation. The Astros will be careful to monitor Whitley's workload carefully this season coming off surgery, so if he gets a call to the big leagues in 2022, he may be tasked with a relief role.

JUNE 16, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Phil Maton - Works immaculate inning Maton struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh inning of Wednesday's 9-2 win over the Rangers.

Impact Maton threw nine pitches -- all for strikes -- to retire the side, allowing him to complete the 108th immaculate inning in MLB history. Starter Luis Garcia also threw an immaculate inning in the bottom of the second, with him and Maton becoming the first teammates in league annals to achieve the feat in the same game. Though Maton has now turned in a 2.25 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over eight innings in his last nine appearances, he has yet to gain much traction in a high-leverage role, as he hasn't recorded a save or hold during that stretch.

JUNE 16, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Yordan Alvarez - Drives in two, scores once Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Wednesday against the Rangers.

Impact Alvarez did his damage early, driving in a pair with a bases-loaded double. Though he hasn't homered in his last seven appearances -- a notable drought given that he has gone yard 17 times in 57 games to begin the campaign -- Alvarez has nine RBI and two runs scored in that span. Overall, Alvarez has maintained a 192 wRC+ and .434 wOBA across 241 plate appearances on the season.

JUNE 16, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Aledmys Díaz - Reaches base twice Diaz went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored Wednesday against the Rangers.

Impact Diaz is expected to take over the primary shortstop role with Jeremy Pena (thumb) sidelined. Diaz hit seventh Wednesday and managed the majority of his production in the first inning by drawing a walk and coming around to score. He's hitting just .217/.268/.304 for the season across 123 plate appearances, though this will be his first chance for consistent playing time since early May.

JUNE 16, 2022 • ROTOWIRE