Mark Appel was brought into the clubhouse early, leaving long before most of the players arrived. A few saw him, though.
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) July 27, 2014
“It’s (expletive) unbelievable,” an Astros player just said out of the blue about Mark Appel being allowed throw a bullpen.
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) July 27, 2014
Let’s just put it this way, folks, the fact that Appel was brought here has upset more than a few players.
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) July 27, 2014
In a sport that prides itself on having guys pay dues, the Astros didn’t help perception in clubhouse that Appel is being babied.
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) July 27, 2014
Another player just approached me to complain about Appel’s promotion and bullpen session. Multiple expletives were dropped. Not good.
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) July 27, 2014
It’s pretty common for top prospects to be moved aggressively through the minors and to have workouts in front of members of the major league coaching staff, so this anger seems odd. Perhaps it’s the culmination of a growing divide between the Houston front office and some of the Astros’ players -- the shady handling of George Springer’s callup and the bungling of the Brady Aiken negotiations only adding fuel to the fire.
“I will handle those conversations internally,” Astros manager Bo Porter told Ortiz on Sunday afternoon. “Any time something affects your clubhouse, I think as the manager you have to handle it.”