MARCH 30, 2022•SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday's's TransactionsHOUSTON ASTROS — Optioned RHP Josh James to Sugar Land (Triple-A West).
Kyle Finnegan - Attempting to get on track in campFinnegan threw a scoreless two-thirds of an inning with one hit allowed in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
ImpactEven so, Finnegan sits with a 12.27 ERA this spring. He was knocked around for five runs in his first three Grapefruit League appearances, and while he's turned in a pair of scoreless appearances since, he hasn't fanned a single batter his last couple times out. By no means does that negate Finnegan's strong 2021 body of work, but manager Dave Martinez seemed to prefer Tanner Rainey as his closer entering camp and Finnegan has done little so far to close the gap.
MARCH 30, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Pedro Leon - Headed to minorsThe Astros reassigned Leon to minor-league camp Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
ImpactThough he's one of Houston's top prospects and reached Triple-A Sugar Land in 2021, Leon's lack of success with the affiliate following his late-season promotion from Double-A Corpus Christi made it unlikely that the Astros would include him on the Opening Day roster. That being said, Leon -- who has played both shortstop and center field in the minors -- could have a fairly clear path to an everyday role in Houston at some point this season, as the Astros are poised to enter the season with a rookie (Jeremy Pena) and a relatively unestablished player (Chas McCormick) as their projected starters at those respective positions. Before a promotion is considered, however, Leon must first prove himself against Triple-A competition. The 23-year-old has nowhere to go but up in that regard after submitting a .131/.293/.164 slash line while striking out in 30.7 percent of his 75 plate appearances at Sugar Land in 2021.
MARCH 30, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Alex De Goti - Dispatched to MiLB campThe Astros reassigned De Goti to minor-league camp Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
ImpactDe Goti was one of six players sent out of big-league camp in the Astros' latest round of roster cuts. The 27-year-old infielder reached the big leagues for the first time in 2021, but he enjoyed only a short-term stay on 40-man and active rosters while Houston was down several players due to positive COVID-19 tests. He's expected to spend most, if not all, of the 2022 campaign at Triple-A Sugar Land.
MARCH 30, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Josh James - Optioned to Triple-AJames was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
ImpactJames made two relief appearances this spring and allowed a run on three hits and a walk while striking out one in two innings. He spent most of the 2021 campaign in Sugar Land and posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 18.2 innings across 20 appearances.
MARCH 30, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Paolo Espino - Likely to begin season in bullpenEspino threw a simulated game Wednesday and has been stretching out for starting duty this spring, but he's expected to open the season as a long reliever for Washington, Mark Zuck...
ImpactWashington is expected to be without Stephen Strasburg (neck) and Joe Ross (elbow) to begin the season, but unless the team loses any other projected rotation members to injury in the final week of spring training, Espino likely won't be in line for a starting role. When the Nationals' starting depth was challenged in 2021, Espino stepped in admirably and produced a 4.50 ERA over 86 innings in his 19 starts, but as a 35-year-old with a limited big-league track record prior to last year, he's not a high priority for Washington.
MARCH 30, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Perspective ' Livan Hernandez is a living, breathing piece of Washington Nationals historyLivan Hernandez has baseball wisdom in his brain and the Washington Nationals in his heart.
MARCH 30, 2022•WASHINGTONPOST.COM
