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Daily Dose: Merry Correa

Seth Trachtman
Matthew Pouliot reviews his 2017 projections in his second hitter-focused column, from Correa to Yelich

Houston fans have been waiting since the 2012 draft. It’s finally time.

For Astros fans, Christmas has arrived early in the form of franchise player Carlos Correa. The first overall selection of the 2012 draft had his contract purchased after Sunday’s loss to Toronto, and he’s expected to start at shortstop against the White Sox on Monday.

An elite prospect despite fracturing his leg last season, Correa has emerged as arguably baseball’s best prospect with his early-season performance. He’s hit .332-10-43 with 18 steals in 52 games between Double-A and Triple-A so far this season at age 20.

The motivation for promoting Correa goes far beyond Houston’s current four-game losing streak. Correa has performed well enough that the Astros believe he’s ready for the major league challenge, and they have a hole at shortstop created when Jed Lowrie hurt his thumb in late April.

Houston will likely hit Correa lower in the batting order as to not put too much pressure on him too soon, but Correa will undoubtedly get every opportunity to succeed in the big leagues immediately. At worst, he provides speed for fantasy owners at a position that has been weak this season, to say the least. At best, he’s a potential .300 hitter with double-digit homers and 20-plus steals the rest of the way.

Archer’s Onslaught Continues

It’s still early, but Chris Archer is strengthening his case for AL Cy Young. He improved to 7-4 on Sunday after allowing only one unearned run on six hits in seven innings while fanning 11 batters. He lowered his ERA to 1.84 on the year.

Archer’s stats are spectacular by every measure. He hasn’t allowed more than one run over his last five starts, and he has a streak of three consecutive double-digit strikeout games. Over those three games, Archer has a 38/0 K/BB ratio in 23 innings. For the season, he has a 108/20 K/BB ratio in 83 innings. Incredibly, Archer’s strikeout percentage has increased by more than 50 percent over last season.

Archer seems to have almost singlehandedly kept the Rays in contention given the injuries to the backend of the rotation. The task could prove even more difficult following Jake Odorizzi’s oblique injury suffered over the weekend.

Danny Santana Demoted

Danny Santana was a revelation for the Twins between shortstop and center field last season, but skeptics still saw his mediocre minor league history (career .273 batting average). With a horrific season thus far, the Twins finally demoted Santana on Sunday.

Santana’s numbers are eye-popping in their futility, as he’s hitting only .218-0-11 with a 2/49 BB/K ratio in 49 games. Given how overmatched he’s looked, it’s surprising the Twins waited this long.

Eduardo Escobar will step in at shortstop to replace Santana. His .230-3-21 line isn’t a significant improvement, nor is his 3/40 BB/K ratio in 46 games. With Minnesota’s surprising start, it wouldn’t be shocking if they searched the trade market for an upgrade. Escobar’s mediocre ability also makes Santana’s possibility of returning easier if he can get back on track in the minors.

The move also opened the door for the return of DH Kennys Vargas. Vargas got off to a bit of a slow start before getting demoted to Triple-A, but he’s raked at Rochester with a .308-3-8 line in 16 games. His return has significant fantasy significance, as Vargas was valuable in mixed leagues last season.

American League Quick Hits: Brad Boxberger has been dealing with tightness in his triceps, but should be available out of the pen on Tuesday … Jose Ramirez has been demoted by the Indians. The team will recall Zach Walters, who will share time at shortstop with Mike Aviles. The team bypassed top prospect Francisco Lindor for now … Matt Wieters launched his first home run of the season on Sunday … Edwin Encarnacion (shoulder) thinks he will be able to return on Monday … Evan Longoria remained out through the weekend with wrist soreness … Danny Duffy (biceps) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday … Justin Masterson (shoulder) will make another rehab start at Triple-A Pawtucket on Wednesday. It remains to be seen if he will regain a rotation spot when he’s ready to return.

National League Quick Hits: Devin Mesoraco (hip) will begin a rehab assignment on Monday. He will only need 3-4 games in the outfield before being activated … Jorge Soler (ankle) expects to be activated from the DL when eligible on June 17 … Wil Myers (wrist) went 2-for-5 with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday. He could be activated from the DL this week … Javier Baez will miss 4-8 weeks after fracturing his left ring finger on Sunday … Denard Span was removed from Sunday’s game with back spasms … Doug Fister (elbow) allowed one earned run in 3.2 innings during his first rehab start … Scott Van Slyke (back) will begin hitting off a tee next week … The Dodgers are hopeful Howie Kendrick (knee) will return on Monday … Brandon Morrow left his second rehab start with discomfort in his shoulder … David Hernandez was activated from the DL on Sunday and pitched a scoreless inning for the Diamondbacks … Melvin Upton (foot) will be activated from the DL on Monday and serve as San Diego’s fifth outfielder … Bobby Parnell (elbow) will make one more rehab appearance before returning with the Mets … Hunter Pence (wrist) was available off the bench on Sunday … Brandon League (shoulder) began a rehab assignment with High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, and Joel Peralta (neck) will begin a rehab assignment next week … Kelly Johnson (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment on Monday.