The Fresno Grizzlies have clinched their division, sending eight familiar Houston Astros to the Pacific Coast League playoffs, perhaps muddying the call-up waters. The Grizzlies, the Houston Astros’ Triple-A minor league affiliate, pocketed the top spot in their PCL Northern Division August 25. They’ll meet in the PCL Championship Series starting September 11.

While MLB rosters are eligible for expansion starting the first of the month, the Astros will be reluctant to promote important cogs on the Fresno roster for their final eight September games, as well as the playoff series.

Key to the Clinch? Ted

Kyle Tucker (players know him simply as “Ted”), a left-handed batter, blasted a three-run homer to right field, Saturday (off a southpaw), capping a five-run ninth inning comeback and a walk-off 7-6 win over the Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels’ AAA affiliate).

Tucker added to his weekly exploits and ended up securing PCL Player of the Week honors for August 20-26. Tucker’s heroics included a game-tying ninth-inning grand slam and two walk-off hits (including the division clinching bomb).

Tucker hit six home runs and drove in 13 over the five-game week, while hitting .560 (14-for-25), collecting multiple hits in each game. He led the PCL for the week in a number of offensive categories, including batting average, hits, home runs (six), RBIs, total bases (32), extra-base hits (six), runs (nine), slugging percentage (1.280), and OPS (1.873).

Tucker, who failed to perform to expectations in an earlier brief Houston call-up, also stole three bases becoming the first PCL player since 2015 to record a 20-20 season for home runs and stolen bases.

In 94 games with the Grizz this season, “Ted” has slugged a PCL-best .580, driven in 87 runs and scored 81 runs. He has also hit .327 (127-for-388) and is the pacesetter in the race for the league’s batting title. The fifth overall pick of the 2015 draft made his MLB debut July 7. In 20 games with Houston, he collected eight hits and three RBIs. This is his third career Player of the Week honor, and second this season.

The Houston Chronicle reported August 28 that Tucker’s eye-popping recent Grizzlie numbers have earned him a September return to Houston, but Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said “‘a lot would have to happen’ for the organization’s No. 2 overall prospect to crack a playoff roster.”

Call-Up Fallout

With the good news being the Grizzlies’ division clinch, the “meh” news is how the Astros must now tiptoe through the September roster expansion. Like any other MLB division leader, the Astros are going to want extra arms out of the bullpen, and a fuller bench to spell regulars in the field. But, they dare not do it to the detriment of the battling Fresno roster, a nearly full third of which are familiar Astro faces.

Currently powering Fresno’s offense are JD Davis, AJ Reed, Derek Fisher, Tucker, and the still-rehabbing Jake Marisnick, all of whom have worn Astros blue and orange in 2018. Pitchers Reymin Guduan and Cionel Perez, both lefties, have also seen Minute Maid Park time, with Brady Rodgers last logging big league time in 2016.

All eight are on the 40-man roster, but Houston will likely be choosy in whom they summon, playoffs notwithstanding.

“Our goal is to win in the big leagues, so we’re not going to keep a player in the minor leagues if there’s a need for that player up here,” Luhnow said, explaining the wrenching dichotomy of organizational winning. “But those guys have a chance to do something pretty special in Fresno, win a championship there.”

Pitcher Dean Deetz is also on the 40-man and deserving of a promotion. A starter for most of his five-year pro career, Deetz has only this year focused on working out of the bullpen.

Another deserving pitcher due for an MLB debut is Josh James, who would be in line to spot-start and pitch out of the ‘pen for the ‘Stros. He was brought up September 1, and made his MLB debut starting Saturday’s game against the Angels at Minute Maid Park. He left Fresno second in the PCL with 133 strikeouts in his 92.2 innings, sporting a 3.40 ERA in 17 starts.

James would need to be added to the 40-man roster, something the team was going to do anyway, to keep him from being claimed in the upcoming Rule 5 draft.

Related: Josh James Should Be Astros’ Closer

Astros manager AJ Hinch does not expect Lance McCullers Jr. to rejoin the starting rotation this season when he returns from a forearm injury, according to the Chronicle. Hinch cited the unlikeliness of McCullers regaining the stamina necessary to start.

McCullers has been on the disabled list since early August, a day after he left a start against the Los Angeles Dodgers early because of a muscle strain.

Hinch, instead, would utilize McCullers out of the bullpen, opening up a lefty starting opportunity for the recently-promoted Framber Valdez, or any of the potential AAA hurlers promoted.

“As the rules change where we can expand the rosters, you could see a spot going to somebody that steps up and takes the ball and is very reliable for every five days,” Hinch told reporters recently. “You could see that spot change. You could also see us be creative with the bullpen and have a bullpen day every now and then.

“We’ve got to continue to put really good pitchers out there and not be too much trial and error because of the race that we’re in,” Hinch continued. “But, I could see it being used a lot of different ways. My preference would be for somebody to step up and throw the ball very well and have our normal rotation.”

Call-Up Upshot

Regardless of whom the Astros ultimately call up, they’ll be division winners, and pending the results of the PCL Championship Series, they may even be league champs.

Reinforcements are on the way, but helping the Grizzlies grab their ring will be several Astros who proudly own 2017 World Series Championship rings!

That sounds like win-win.