Brian

Bogusevic

Bogusevic is 3-for-24 with no RBI and seven strikouts this spring. The Astros were hoping he’d secure a job as the starting right fielder against right-handed pitching, but he’s definitely lost some ground. The door could be open for Travis Buck or Jack Cust to start. Buck is the candidate having a terrific spring, with a .438 average in 16 at-bats. Cust, on the other hand, is doing even worse than Bogusevic, having gone 0-for-20 so far.

It’s certainly not anything he’s done in spring training that has him ahead of the pack, as he’s batting just .115/.233/.154. Travis Buck is hitting .350 over 20 at-bats, while Jack Cust is hitless in 24 at-bats. Bogusevic is merely a deep NL-only league play with an everyday job.

Bogusevic came into the game as a pinch hitter for Wilton Lopez and made the most out of his only plate appearance. He’s off to a slow start offensively, hitting just .230 with one homer and nine RBI. But the 28-year-old played an important role tonight.

Bogusevic was hitting just .125 in 32 at-bats for the spring. Despite his struggles, he still figures to be a big part of the right field mix for the Astros. He’s out of options, and the Astros won’t want to risk losing him.

Bogusevic, who had a .125 average entering Sunday’s game, has reached base eight times in his last two starts. He’s probably going to be the Astros’ right fielder on Opening Day, but he still doesn’t look like anything more than a $1-$2 player in NL-only leagues.

Schafer was traded to the Astros for Michael Bourn after failing to meet expectations in the Braves organization. The 25-year-old former top prospect had mixed results in limited time last season but remains the club’s best in-house option. Jason Bourgeois will continue to fill-in at all three outfield positions, while J.B. Shuck and Brian Bogusevic are also in the hunt.

Cashner had cruised through the first six innings before allowing his first hit to Carlos Lee in the seventh inning. Bogusevic immediately followed with his two-run jack, putting the Astros on top 2-1 at the time. While he is no longer seeing consistent at-bats, he should see a slight bump in playing time with Justin Maxwell on the DL.

Bogusevic simply must pick it up from here on in if he expects to be a part of Houston’s plans for 2013. In truth, he’s already received more playing time than he’s earned. He’s batting just .213 with six homers and 22 RBI in 286 at-bats to date.

Schafer had a misplay in the second inning, but it’s not clear whether Astros manager Brad Mills pulled him because he was upset with his effort. Brian Bogusevic slid over to center field while Brian Bixler entered the game to play right.

Schafer hasn’t played since suffering a lower leg muscle strain in the third inning of Saturday’s game. He could be sidelined until Wednesday. Brian Bogusevic will make the start in center field Monday.