Outfielder George Springer and pitchers Collin McHugh and Joe Smith, all Houston Astros nursing various injuries, began rehab assignments, Thursday, June 20 at Whataburger Field, home to the team’s Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks.

McHugh is actually continuing his Corpus assignment, having appeared in the June 17 Hooks game, and will also be available this weekend for duty prior to a medical assessment that might clear him to rejoin Houston.

The right-hander has been suffering from right elbow discomfort and recorded a hold in Monday’s 7-1 victory over the Arkansas Travelers (Seattle Mariners’ Texas League affiliate), allowing two hits and an earned run in 1.1 IP, striking out two and walking one.

Catcher Max Stassi, nursing a left knee injury, made his first rehab appearance with the Hooks, Tuesday, June 18, after two games with Triple-A Round Rock (June 13 and 16), going two-for-four with a solo homer, while gunning down two runners trying to steal. He not only caught all nine innings in that game, but the entire game the next day. Stassi was activated just before the Astros’ game at Yankee Stadium, Friday, June 21.

Springer Returns to the Scene of the Climb

Springer, the 2013 Texas League Player of the Year, has been laid up since suffering a left hamstring injury May 24 vs. the Boston Red Sox. Despite missing Houston’s last 23 games, the former first-round pick is second among American League outfielders in 2019 All-Star Game voting, trailing only the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout.

In 48 games for the Astros this year, Springer is batting .308 with 17 home runs, 43 RBIs, with a 1.032 OPS. At the time of his injury, the two-time All-Star was leading the American League in homers, RBIs, and total bases (119). Springer’s OPS was good for second in the league.

Springer started in center field and hit leadoff for the Hooks in Thursday’s 10-2 victory. He hit two homers in his four at-bats, before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. His first dinger was a solo shot in the third inning, while a three-run blow highlighted a Corpus Christi four-run fourth.

He, too, is expected to remain with the Hooks for the weekend (playing in Hooks games Saturday and Sunday after a Friday off day to assess after effects), but as with McHugh, their Hooks’ stay will have to end after the game of June 23.

All league teams go dark for a three-day stretch to allow for the Texas League All-Star Game, June 25, with days off on either side.

Should prompt extension of their rehabs be needed, the players might be transferred to AAA Round Rock, whose games are in Iowa through June 24, and San Antonio for four games beginning the 25th.

Also available for the Hooks for Thursday’s game was Astros right-handed reliever Joe Smith. He never made it into the contest. The 35-year-old veteran suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during an offseason workout in December.

Fuzzy Reception?

The Hooks and their fans also made professional baseball history on Thursday with their Phones-Free Game promotion against the Springfield Cardinals (the 15-year Texas League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals parent club).

The night required those with tickets to place their phones in lockable Yondr cases, made available to fans upon entry. The fabric pouches securely lock at the top and were only able to be opened using Yondr’s unlocking base. Fans maintained possession of their phones in the cases for the entire night.

The summer collegiate Kalamazoo Growlers of the Northwoods League staged a Phone-Free Night earlier in June, thereby making the Hooks’ Thursday night effort the first such attempt in Minor League Baseball.

According to MiLB.com‘s Benjamin Hill, the Hooks believe that a “no-phone night at the ballpark is a great chance to connect with friends and family while soaking in the natural and man-made beauty that surrounds their home of Whataburger Field.”