Chas

McCormick

The trio went unclaimed on waivers after being cut loose from Houston’s 40-man roster earlier this week to clear roster space. McCormick looked like a non-tender candidate, and his expected arbitration salary was evidently high enough to keep other teams from putting in a claim.

No real surprises here as Houston does a little housekeeping to clear space on their 40-man roster at the outset of the offseason. McCormick and Garcia are the most prominent names here and were virtual locks to be non-tendered in a couple weeks. León was one of the better prospects in Houston’s system before knee injuries derailed his development.

McCormick has barely played this season after Jake Meyers took over as Houston’s primary center fielder back in spring training. The 30-year-old reserve outfielder returns to the minors with veteran backstop Victor Caratini back from the injured list.

The dynamic 30-year-old outfielder will be active and in uniform as the Astros kick off the second half of the season on Friday evening against the Mariners in Seattle. Kenedy Corona was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move on Friday. McCormick has been shelved since May 30 due to a left oblique strain.

McCormick has been out since the start of June with his oblique strain. The 30-year-old was not getting consistent playing time prior to the injury, and it seems unlikely that he’ll come back to a depth chart he’s on top of. He should be able to come off the IL near the All-Star break if there are no setbacks.

McCormick has played sparingly this season as a reserve outfielder on Houston’s bench with Jake Meyers establishing himself as the primary center fielder. The 30-year-old figures to miss at least a couple weeks.

It’s McCormick’s first start since May 20. The 30-year-old has ceded playing time to younger options like Zach Dezenzo and Cam Smith this season while Jake Meyers has emerged as the club’s primary center field option.

Smith has struggled in his jump to the big leagues, slashing .212/.302/.365 in 26 games with a 30 percent strikeout rate. Zach Dezenzo will start in left field on Wednesday, with Chas McCormick getting the start in right field.

This is Dezenzo’s fifth start in the team’s last six games. Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers don’t have the team’s confidence right now, so the Astros are turning to Dezenzo to see if he can get this offense going. The 24-year-old is hitting .270/.308/.324 on the season, but he does have an elevated 36 percent strikeout rate. Still, if he can provide an offensive spark, the Astros will continue to get him in the lineup, especially with Cam Smith starting to get reps in center field.

The 30-year-old McCormick is slashing .318/.423/.364 on the season but has been limited to just 29 plate appearances, and the Astros have also said that Cam Smith will start taking fly balls in centerfield. As Rome points out, “The entire premise of carrying McCormick centered on his ability to back up Jake Meyers in center field and serve as a late-game defensive replacement for Smith or Altuve in the corners.” If the Astros don’t need McCormick as a late-game defensive replacement and Zach Dezenzo begins to show more offensive promise, there is little need for McCormick on the roster. Rome adds, “The act of exposing Smith to center field accentuates how far McCormick has fallen in the organizational hierarchy. That he has taken 19 plate appearances since April 3 — and sacrifice-bunted during two of them — further demonstrates his standing.”