In Friday’s game against the Oakland A’s, the score was tied heading into the bottom of the seventh. Myles Straw singled to start the inning, bringing Martín Maldonado to the plate. An A’s righty is on the mound, and due to the three-batter rule, he cannot be switched out for a lefty. With Jason Castro available on the bench, Maldonado remains in the game and grounds out. The Astros would not score in the inning and would eventually lose the game.
The season is young but the misuse of the Astros’ two catchers has been glaring.