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Rice Baseball 2023: MLB Owls update – June 7

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The 2023 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Placed on the 10-day injured list in mid-May, Rendon made his highly anticipated return to the Angels’ lineup on Tuesday. He went 0-for-2 with a walk, lining out deep to right field in his first appearance and popping out in foul territory in his second. He was replaced in the sixth inning.

Through June 7, Rendon is hitting .295 with five extra-base hits, 20 walks and 15 strikeouts. His OPS is .775 and he’s collected 20 RBI.

J.T. Chargois – Miami Marlins

Chargois has made two appearances in June, both in Marlins’ victories. He pitched one scoreless inning against the Athletics on Friday and allowed one run on one hit on Monday. He struck out three of the eight batters he faced across both outings, raising his strike outs per nine innings more than a full point.

Through June 7, Chargois has a 3.00 ERA with a 1.083 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Designated For Assignment

Lucas Luetge – Atlanta Braves

Luetge was outrighted by the Braves this week, accepting an assignment with the AAA team rather than electing free agency, doing so would have meant forfeiting the remainder of this year’s salary. He will remain with the team but not count against the Braves’ 40-man roster.

Through June 7, Luetge has a 10.24 ERA with a 2.172 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Injured List

Glenn Otto – Texas Rangers

Otto did not appear on the Rangers Opening Day roster despite making 27 starts for the club last season. Instead, he began the year on the injured list, landing on the 60-day IL on March 30 with a right shoulder strain. As the calendar turns to June, Otto could be in line to begin rehab work and chart a course back to the big league team.

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Rice Baseball: 2023 MiLB Owls post-May updates

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While several Rice Baseball alums are producing at the highest level, others are working their way up the ladder. Here’s the latest on the MiLB Owls.

Triple-A

Jon Duplantier (Phillies) was moved to the 60-day injured list on April 6 but was recently assigned to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Single A) for a rehab assignment on May 24. If things go well, he could be in line to rejoin the AAA squad in the weeks ahead.

Tristan Gray (Rays) started the season on a heater but has cooled down significantly in May, slashing just .155/.241/.211 this month. That’s dropped his season-long slash line to .233/.306/.436, a sharp contrast between months.

More on Rice Baseball: Latest from the MLB Owls

Ford Proctor (Giants) has rebounded from a slug start with a tremendous month of May. After hitting .190 in April he’s hitting .283 in May with a .767 OPS while playing all over the diamond, defensively. Proctor has appeared at every infield position defensively, including catcher, with two starts at designated hitter as well.

Double-A

Matt Canterino (Twins) began the 2023 season on the 60-day injured list as he recovered from offseason surgery. He’ll be sidelined for some time.

Trei Cruz (Tigers) has maintained his impressive early pace through the month of May, posting career highs across the board. Compared to his 2021 and 2022 minor league seasons, Cruz has improved his average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and a myriad of other metrics. He’s slashing .273/.371/.503 right now as he continues to feast on AA pitching.

Evan Kravetz (Reds) has been locked in during the month of May. He’s made seven appearances, all out of the bullpen, and compiled a pristine 1.29 ERA, allowing just eight hits and two runs over the course of 14 innings pitched. Opposing hitters are hitting .174 of of Kravetz in May.

Dane Myers (Marlins) has continued to make his case for promotion through the early months of the 2023 season. After posting an .876 OPS in April he followed it with a .741 OPS in May. He walked 16 times in 24 games this month, contributing to an impressive .385 on-base percentage.

Single-A

Roel Garcia (Rays, High-A) was impressive in May, posting a 2.95 ERA with a whopping 24 strikeouts in 18.1 innings pitched. He was charged with just six earned runs in his four total outings.

Cooper Chandler (Orioles, High-A) had the best month of his young professional career in May. He appeared in five games, posting a 2.70 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 20 total innings. His WHIP was just 1.100.

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Rice Baseball 2023: MLB Owls update – May 31

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The 2023 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls.

J.T. Chargois – Miami Marlins

Chargois has returned to a more regular rhythm this week following his return to the big league team after more than a month off. He’s pitched in three games over the past six days. He earned his first save of the year on Sunday, working a scoreless ninth inning against the Angels. Over the course of the week, he allowed one run in 3.0 innings of work.

Through May 31, Chargois has a 2.70 ERA with a 1.100 WHIP. He’s averaging 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetge – Atlanta Braves

After consecutive rough outings, Luetge was designated for assignment. He’s had a tough go as of late since returning to the majors after injury that kept him off the field for several weeks.

Through May 31, Luetge has a 10.24 ERA with a 2.172 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Injured List

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Despite earlier reports that Rendon was close to returning, there is no updated timetable for when the former Rice Baseball slugger will be activated from the 10-day injured list. He hasn’t appeared in a game for the Halos since May 13, a span of more than two weeks and counting.

Through May 31, Rendon is hitting .301 with five extra-base hits, 19 walks and 15 strikeouts. His OPS is .784 and he’s collected 20 RBI.

Glenn Otto – Texas Rangers

Otto did not appear on the Rangers Opening Day roster despite making 27 starts for the club last season. Instead, he began the year on the injured list, landing on the 60-day IL on March 30 with a right shoulder strain. As the calendar turns to June, Otto could be in line to begin rehab work and chart a course back to the big league team.

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Rice Baseball wrestles with tough Year 2 with Jose Cruz Jr.

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Rice Baseball will have a sour taste in its mouth after a tough 2023 campaign, forced to reckon with a challenging season as they depart C-USA.

Watching Florida Atlantic celebrate on their own field was not quite how Rice baseball had envisioned watching their 2023 season come to a close. Even after battling well into the final weekend to earn the final spot in the Conference USA Tournament, an appearance without any wins seemed a hollow achievement when compared to preseason hopes.

“Obviously, we have some work to do,” head coach Jose Cruz Jr. said in the moments following the Owls’ final game of the year. “I’m already kind of formulating a plan for the fall and a plan to be back here and do a little more damage.”

Getting back to the postseason is a must, even with the leap to the American conference, which will officially take place this offseason. But before the Owls get there, they’ll be forced to reckon with a year of frustrations.

In addition to the more crushing defeats, Rice baseball was 5-11 in one-run games. They were 3-7 when tied after seven innings. Beyond just bad luck, when things were bad, they were really bad. The Owls’ longest winning streak of the season was three games. Their longest losing streak, nine games, tied the modern program record and was the longest of any Rice team since 1987.

Rice was picked to finish eighth in the preseason conference polls and earned the eighth seed in the conference tournament. In some respects, the season was on par with the hand they’d been dealt. The next objective for Cruz Jr. and company is to find a way to take that next step. Should the roster survive excess attrition from the draft and the transfer portal, there’s reason to keep the faith.

“We do have a lot of pieces. We will be an older team and we’ll have a little more experience now that we know what it’s like,” Cruz Jr. said. “What this tournament is like and the intensity you need to have in order to succeed here.”

Freshman standout Ben Royo will be back, as will sophomore ace Parker Smith. Veterans and core players like Pierce Gallo, Connor Walsh, Jack Riedel, Guy Garibay, Manny Garza, Justin Long and Matthew Linskey all have eligibility remaining, too. And that’s not an exhaustive list.

More: Parker Smith’s journey from hometown kid to Rice Baseball ace

Add in the right pieces from the incoming recruiting class and another transfer or too and the Owls have the makings of a roster that should be more experienced and talented than the 2023 squad was. Ultimately, they’ll have to prove it on the field.

That can’t happen until next February, though. For now, Rice baseball and Jose Cruz Jr. have to continue to press what they believe to be the right buttons and continue to build a team that can compete night in and night out. It’ll be another busy offseason on South Main once again.

“All in all, I’m pretty optimistic for the future,” Cruz Jr. said. “We’re getting better. We’re getting better.”

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Rice Baseball 2023: MLB Owls update – May 25

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The 2023 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls.

J.T. Chargois – Miami Marlins

Chargois saw his first MLB action in more than a month this week, returning from an extended stint on the injured list to make three appearances in the span six days. He earned his first win of the season on Saturday against the Giants and picked up his second hold against the Nationals. His first earned runs charged to his ledger came this past Monday, against the Rockies.

Through May 25, Chargois has a 2.57 ERA with a 0.571 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetge – Atlanta Braves

Luetge also returned from an injured list stint this past week, making his first appearances since April 12. He threw one scoreless inning against Seattle on Saturday and another scoreless frame against the Dodgers on Monday. Altogether, he struck out three of the seven batters he faced.

Through May 25, Luetge has a 6.23 ERA with a 1.500 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Injured List

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon, who was placed on the 10-day Injured List on May 15, received some positive news this week. Manager Phil Nevin said the Angels “don’t think it’ll be very long at all” before he returns to the lineup.

Through May 25, Rendon is hitting .301 with five extra-base hits, 19 walks and 15 strikeouts. His OPS is .784 and he’s collected 20 RBI.

Glenn Otto – Texas Rangers

Otto did not appear on the Rangers Opening Day roster despite making 27 starts for the club last season. Instead, he began the year on the injured list, landing on the 60-day IL on March 30 with a right shoulder strain. He will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

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