The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Joe Espada Joins The Show Giving His Insight On Recent Injuries & How The Astros Will Move Past This

Episode Date: July 1, 2025

Joe Espada Joins The Show Giving His Insight On Recent Injuries & How The Astros Will Move Past This

Matt and Ross with you here. 1232 Sports Talk 790. It is one of our favorite times to spend 10 minutes weekly with the manager of your first place, Houston Astros, six in front of the Seattle Mariners, second best record in the American League. And Joe Espada gets to spend an off day in Denver, Colorado. There are a worst place to spend an off day, right, Skip? No, it's beautiful. I love Denver.

We actually have the family here, and there's a lot of outdoor stuff to do, which we did yesterday. walk around, took the kids with some trails, and we got a chance to spend some quality time as a family. So here ready for three-game series against the Rockies, looking forward to it. Yeah, for sure. Your year is going to Denver. I know when it first came into play, they were playing at Mile High Stadium, and then they got the humidore in. A noticeable difference when you go to Colorado's compared to other places?

Because, look, you guys were in Sacramento a few weeks ago, and that ball was flying out of there. So what's it like now, circa 2020, 2020? Here, you know, the ball still carries really well in Colorado. You know, I find it just a big wide ballpark. It's a big feel. A lot of balls drop in. I'll feel this I usually have tendency to playing deeper, trying to keep the ball. I know, balls play in front of them.

So there's a lot of opportunities, not only for us for basics, but also for a lot of hits. So I normally find ourselves playing high-scoring games here. You feel like you never, you know, you've got to continue. to score because you never know when you play here in Colorado. Skip, obviously, the Jeremy Pena situation is not great. Was there a part of you that just when you heard the news from your medical team, you just dropped your head and said, what more can I go through over 162? I know injuries are always a part of it, but my goodness,

to lose a guy that has had just a renaissance of a season, especially since the lead-off spot, that's a double-dusy hit for you. man yeah it's unfortunate right it's you don't want your guys to you know any of your guys to get hurt but you know the jeremy peña it's tough news i you know i immediately look you know honestly fellas i look to this guy and i you know pray god for strength and and and continue to to you know to help us through this um tough road these injuries um i see it as another test and and you know um you know um you You can't tell testimony without test, and we are, we're being tested. You know, there's no doubt about it.

But I think at the end of the day, we are a strong team. We continue to bring guys up that can help us continue to move forward. This is a united club that we find ways to win games, you know. And we'll do that. We'll continue to put players in a position for where I think they could have some success. And while these players are on the sideline, and once we get them back, Hopefully we continue to be in a good spot to continue to make a push and trying to win the division. Joe, you've had a couple days without him in there.

Any thought of what you want to do in terms of the lead-off guy on a consistent basis, or do you think that could be changing over the next handful of days? You know, right now I'm going to keep Paredes in that spot. Obviously, his ability to get on base is tremendous. You know, he's got the power. He's just a really good polish hitter. So I'm going to continue to do that for the time being. I like Jake Myers, I'm about in that two spot.

Of two, A three spot has found a place where he feels comfortable and he's producing. And Ken Smith right now is giving us, you know, unbelievable about, especially with people in scoring positions. So I'm going to roll with that for the time being. And if we need to do some changes to make sure that these players get in spots where they're comfortable and they can produce, you know, we'll do that. you mentioned cam smith and you've really been seeing some growth from him but the plate he's been great in the field the whole time what is what is just like on a personal level what have you seen from him as far as maybe getting more comfortable as being a major leaguer is he kind of more just the same mature guy or are you seeing growth as well no you do you do see the growth

you do see a more mature confident which you know he wasn't lacking when we when we make the decision to put on the major league roster but now you see someone who comes to understand what he takes to be in the big league, stay in the big leagues, adjustments that need to be made to be a productive player at the major league level. Conversations with him, he's got a pretty good idea of what he wants to do, what pitches are trying to do. You know, you're watching defensively making better choices, better decisions defensively. You know, he's been incredible in the first three and a half months in the big leagues

how he is learning at the highest level there is. I'm not surprised, but I'm really incredible just watching him how quickly he has developed into this really good player. Astros manager Joe Espada with us here on Sports Talk 790. We talk a lot about the players, Joe, I want to ask about you because last year, obviously it was a tough test. As far as the way that the season started, you were turning it around. And this year, things are going great, but all these injuries keep piling up. What has that been like for you? Like you mentioned, you keep kind of getting tested in these couple of years.

it's never a dull moment, but the team is still well positioned. Yes, and, you know, I always say that, you know, as a Christian, I do, fellas, I do a lot of praying. I put this season, any season, every evening, every game in the hands of God. And just whatever he wants for this team, he will delivered. And I lean on him, I lean on my players, I lean on my coaches, on the organization. We have done a tremendous job here for a very very, very. very long time. We have people that, that know the process and we continue to develop major league players. And I, I trust that. I trust that process. But honestly, guys, it's a test

after a test every single day. And for me, as the leader of this club, continue to stay calm, continue to lead, continue to be, you know, positive mindset, talking to my players, continue to, you know, allow my coaches to do their job, put these players in a position to have success. And ultimately, I think that's what has made the difference. But, you know, no doubt, you know, will be easier if some of these players injures don't happen. But we all know that this is just part of the game. We've talked about your defense, your relief pitching, your starting pitching as a whole. And obviously the career years for Pena and the continued really consistent play for Jake

Myers. Did you ever envision in spring training that Jake Myers would be in the heart of your lineup as much as he has? And look, it's about the opportunities and who's hot and who's on base, and he's certainly done that for you. Yeah, yeah. You know what? The defense was always, you know, there's no doubt this guy is one of the best defenders in the game. The offense, we've seen moments through his first three or four years in the league where you see flashes of the power, his ability to control the strike zone. But now what we've seen is someone, who really used in the middle, the field, know what's to do with two strikes, just really squeezing, you know, the pitchers on, you're really going to have to work really hard

to get me out. It's quality at bat after quality at bat. Not trying to do too much consistency on the daily basis, something that we, last year, he went through stretches where he's good for a week, then it trended down for a couple of games but now he's just consistently a bat just because he understands what works for him. And he finds himself there in the middle of the lineup because I believe in him. I believe in the fact that he's a bat that real and he can do this throughout the season. You know, it's fun to talk to you, Skip.

First of all, it's always enjoyable, but it's easier when obviously the team is playing well. and, you know, Josh and Brian have been such fantastic parts of your back into your bullpen, but they've been in a situation where they've been there, done this. You've got a lot of middle relievers who have been exceptional for you that are about to hit a territory where they're in a six-game league. They are trying to hold on a division. You're trying to get the best record in the American League. How often you pull those guys inside and say, you know, enjoy this for what it is,

guess what? It's only going to get more difficult as the season progresses. You know, I, you know what? I think the guys that we have in the middle there, they've been around enough where they know what it, they know what it is. They probably have never experienced it. And our job is just kind of, you know, move them along and, you know, ask them not to do more than what they're doing right now.

You prepare them every single day based on their strength, you know, and attack their hitters based on their weaknesses. And that plan is never going to change how we approach that. You know, my mindset is just more making sure they get, you know, I put them in pockets where I know they can, they can have success and make sure that they get rest so they can recover and their stuff is quality every single day. I think that's the biggest, that's the biggest deal. That's the biggest, the most important thing for me just to continue to do that. And continue to talk to them daily. Like, you know, this is just, you know, keep it fun, you know, just keep getting yourself ready

every single day. Don't try to do more just because we're in July and, you know, we go into the, you know, the dark days of August. No, none of that. Just continue to do what you're doing. And we're going to find ourselves in a good spot and, you know, and in a position to win. And that's all I really always ask of this guys.

Yeah, and getting in a position to win, sometimes you need some help at the trade deadline. And what are conversations like with Dana Brown? Especially, it seems like, you know, a lot of stuff in the air with the injuries, and you could always use more hitting, always use more pitching, but also factoring in guys like Javier Aragetti and Garcia possibly getting into the fold. Yeah, and we got to monitor, you know, those guys' recovery because that's really going to, you know, affect how we go after doing the deadline, you know. But Dana and his team, they're working.

They have putting a plan together what we will look. like to acquire. You know, we do have some guys coming back, you know, the McCormick, you know, Jordan, the pitching, Jeremy Pena. So we have pieces coming back, hopefully in the next very soon here. So once we do that, we have a better, you know, idea what we need. But right now, my focus is just to, you know, put the players I have right now in a position where we can continue to move forward.

So then when we get to that point, we're in a spot where we could, if we at one or two players, they could immediately come in and make an impact. You know, I know. Skip, enjoy the rest of your time in Denver. Good luck. Be safe on this trip to Denver and Los Angeles. We'll talk to you when you get back next week. Thanks for the time as always.

All right, guys. Thank you. You got a Joe spotted with us from Denver, Astros, and Rockies. On deck tonight at 630, first pitch, 740.