Houston has arguably the best overall pitching staff in the major leagues but has run into a big problem because of injury.

The Astros are struggling to find someone to handle those standout pitchers after losing another catcher in their 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.

The Astros will send right-hander Garrit Cole (9-2 http://www.packerscheapshoponline.com/cheap-authentic-jace-sternberger-jersey , 2.50 ERA) to the mound for the Independence Day, Lone Star State showdown at Globe Life Park in Arlington while the Rangers counter with left-hander Mike Minor (6-4, 4.64).

Houston’s catching situation took a turn for the worst Tuesday when Max Stassi was forced from the game against Texas in the first inning after he was hit on the right wrist by a pitch.

Stassi’s injury comes on the same day veteran catcher Brian McCann met with team medical director Dr. David Lintner ahead of having surgery on his right knee. The Astros placed McCann on the disabled list Tuesday with a sore right knee for the second time this season and recalled catcher Tim Federowicz from Triple-A Fresno.

Federowicz took over for Stassi, who entered Tuesday’s game batting .255 with seven homers and 22 RBIs.

Houston manager A.J. Hinch wouldn’t say what type of surgery McCann would undergo and when the procedure would take place, but admitted that the Astros without McCann, their front-line backstop, “for the foreseeable future.”

“We don’t know other than he’s heading for surgery and we’ll have a better timetable once he sees Dr. Lintner and goes through the medical process,” Hinch told mlb.com. “We had a long conversation in Tampa (over the weekend), and it’s continually the same issue over and over with his right knee. One of the options is surgery, and he went back to Houston to take care of it.”

Texas right-handed reliever Chris Martin was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday prior to the club’s series opener against the Astros. The move made room on the 25-man roster for first baseman Ronald Guzman, who returned from the seven-day concussion disabled list.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister said Martin’s demotion was to create bench depth

“Chris hadn’t done anything to warrant being optioned Dexter Williams Jersey ,” Banister said. “He’s got options. Obviously, he’s pitched well for us in the bullpen. However, you’ve got to be able to protect some of the other players on the team, too.”

Banister told mlb.com that Guzman passed the concussion protocol three days after he was placed on the disabled list. “Ronals was a full-go, as far as baseball activities are concerned,” he said.

The Astros have shuffled their rotation for this week to give Lance McCullers, Jr. and Charlie Morton some additional rest. McCullers was originally scheduled to start Wednesday against the Rangers.

Cole makes his first start in July after going 4-1 with a 3.41 ERA in six June starts, posting a 1.11 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 37 innings. The Astros are 14-3 in games started by Cole, who is looking to reach double digits in wins.

Minor has been one of the Rangers’ best starters of late. He was 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four June starts. Minor is 4-2 with a 3.44 ERA in nine home starts this season.

Minor is 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA in nine games (six starts) versus Houston, including 0-1, 5.74 in three starts this season.

Cole is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA in four starts against Texas Nick Bosa Jersey , including 2-0, 1.80 in three turns this year.

Kendrys Morales ditched his glasses and found his swing.

Morales connected for a pinch-hit homer in the 10th inning, sending the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Morales hit a two-out drive to right off Hansel Robles for his eighth homer. Robles (2-3) was making his Angels debut after he was claimed off waivers from the New York Mets.

The 35-year-old Morales made his major league debut with Los Angeles in 2006 and played for the Angels for six years.

”It always feels good, I don’t think it matters more or less that it was the team that signed me,” Morales said through an interpreter. ”That was a good moment and I’ll take it and I’m happy for it.”

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons thinks there’s something to Morales not using the glasses he tried.

”He’s always been a good hitter. He’s always been a dangerous hitter,” Gibbons said. ”I was telling somebody the other day, he got rid of his glasses. The glasses were screwing him up.”

Curtis Granderson, Aledmys Diaz and Devon Travis also homered for Toronto, which split the four-game series after dropping the first two. Diaz had two hits and scored three times.

Travis praised Gibbons for sending Morales to the plate in the 10th.

”Two outs, putting Kendrys in in that situation. He’s a good hitter. That was awesome,” Travis said. ”Kendrys has been swinging the bat so well really all year. You can look at his numbers and they don’t quite tell the story. I feel every time the guy goes to the box he puts the barrel on the ball L.J. Collier Jersey , he puts up a good at-bat and just happy things have been going better in the luck department lately. That was a big one right there. He’s a guy in this locker room that gels everyone together.”

The Blue Jays had a 6-3 lead before the Angels rallied in the eighth, taking advantage of two errors. Ryan Tepera (5-2) replaced Aaron Loup with two out and the bases loaded, and Martin Maldonado responded with a three-run double to left.

Tepera then picked Maldonado off second to end the inning. He also worked the ninth, and Tyler Clippard got three outs for his fourth save.

Toronto jumped in front on Travis’ three-run homer off Felix Pena in the second. Diaz hit a tiebreaking leadoff drive in the sixth, and Granderson added his seventh of the season with two out.

Justin Upton hit his 17th homer for the Angels, and Maldonado had two hits and four RBIs. Pena, a converted reliever making his second career start, allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings.

”We battled back. We didn’t do enough things in the end,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ”We couldn’t keep it in the park. They hit four home runs off us. We do a good job getting back in games.”

FREE TIME

Angels star Mike Trout has some free time during games when he serves as the designated hitter. His sprained index finger has kept him from playing center field, which can make for some restless moments.

”I’m going to tell him to go play catch in left field and roll it back left-handed so he can feel like he plays some defense. He goes crazy in the dugout,” Scioscia said. ”DHing is not easy http://www.seahawkscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-marquise-blair-jersey , especially when you’re used to the everyday separation of going out there and focusing on defense. The best thing to get an at-bat out of your head is to go out and play defense.”

PITCHING WITH PURPOSE

Toronto right-hander Sam Gaviglio was charged with three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings in his first start back from paternity leave. Gaviglio’s daughter, Livia, was born on Tuesday.

”It was nice. It’s like riding a bike,” Gaviglio said. ”It’s just another baseball game.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: LHP Tyler Skaggs, who was scratched on Thursday with hamstring tightness, came out of his bullpen session Saturday with no problems and will start Monday.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (9-3, 3.56 ERA) pitches Monday against Houston. Happ has allowed no runs in two of his last three starts.

Angels: Skaggs (6-4, 2.81 ERA) is all set for a makeup game at Kansas City. He is 3-0 with a sparkling 0.45 ERA in June.

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