Astros eyeing more depth with Sipp, Castro due back soon
The Houston Astros are hopeful to be able to add some more depth to their roster with the eventual activation of reliever Tony Sipp (lower back issue) and catcher Jason Castro (strained right quad).
On Wednesday, manager A.J. Hinch told Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle that the club expected both players to join the team in Anaheim this weekend while the Astros battle the Los Angeles Angels.
Ortiz noted that Sipp and Castro staged a bullpen session at Minute Maid Park in Houston while the field was being set up for a Taylor Swift concert.
Castro, who has been out of action for the Astros for a while with that quad strain, is eligible to come off the disabled list next Monday. Whether that happens remains to be seen, as Hinch told Ortiz, "I think (Castro) is making progress, but he still hasn’t done anything rigorous until he gets to us in L.A."
A week or so ago, Castro said he felt good about his rehab progress and was optimistic about his chances of returning to duty relatively quickly. In his absence, Houston has relied on Hank Conger and Max Stassi to split time behind the plate.
