Houston Astros: J.D. Davis gets a chance to make some noise
After Yuli Gurriel went down early on in Spring Training, another roster spot opened up for the Houston Astros. J.D. Davis earned it this month, and he has a chance to make a name for himself while he’s up.
Houston Astros first baseman J.D. Davis doesn’t want to be in the same conversation as A.J. Reed and Jon Singleton. The latter was a recent bust, posting abysmal numbers for the Houston Astros despite being a top prospect. The former still has time to develop, but he’s struggled mightily in the bigs as well.
Davis’ scenario is different, and he can produce different results.
Houston listed the corner infielder on the team’s Opening Day roster Saturday, which was rather unexpected. Yuli Gurriel’s injury allowed Davis to showcase his abilities this spring and secure the open spot.
Several aspects will allow Davis to distinguish himself from Reed and Singleton. The 24-year-old was relatively unknown before Spring Training. Astros fans knew he was a solid hitter in Double-A, but he didn’t spend enough time in the MLB to make any noise.
Davis made sure to change that this month. He enjoyed a torrid stretch at the plate, swatting five home runs and sporting a 1.104 OPS. Those numbers pushed him ahead of other guys vying for the final roster spot, including Tony Kemp, Tyler White and Reed.
Although Davis dominated opposing pitchers in March, expectations should be reasonable. The Cal-State Fullerton product amassed a middling .226/.279/.484 triple-slash line during his short stint in the majors. He struck out in nearly a third of his at-bats.
Nevertheless, the infielder has clearly already made some progress in his swing. Spring Training numbers can be deceiving, but making hard contact can overshadow certain doubts. If Davis does that at a higher level, he could be more than just a flier for the reigning World Champions.
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Where will Davis get playing time?
Gurriel’s injury shook matters up, but it didn’t deplete manager A.J. Hinch’s resources. If anything, it allowed the front office to experiment with options at the position to see if they have a future with the Astros.
Marwin Gonzalez seems prepped to start at first most days. Derek Fisher will occupy left field if that happens. Now that Evan Gattis is the club’s pre-designated designated hitter, Davis likely won’t swipe starts in that spot.
Thus, after all of the math is done, Davis’ best shot to get at-bats is at first. White and Reed had similar roles across the past few years, so the opportunity is still there.
However, Hinch has the option of placing Davis at third in some games if Alex Bregman endures an injury or needs rest for some reason. Lastly, if the Astros are dominating a team, Davis can actually eat up some innings on the bump if needed.
Gurriel should only be sidelined for at most one month, which could force Davis out of the equation. But he still has a chance to make a large impact in a relatively short period.
Even if he gets demoted after Gurriel returns, Davis can still earn some recognition. His performance could push him ahead of other minor-league players in the organization on the cusp of promotion.
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But it’s up to him to take advantage of the situation while it’s there.