Astros getting healthy as they host A's

HOUSTON -- At one point during the Astros' series against the Cleveland Indians, Houston manager A.J. Hinch had a two-time batting champion, a near All-Star last season, and a potential Hall of Famer on his bench in part due to a rash of injuries.

While splitting their six-game road trip through Tampa Bay and Cleveland, the Astros lost a pair of outfielders (George Springer and Jake Marisnick) plus All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve to injury. The cruelty in Altuve going down with a sore shoulder was that his injury came via a collision with Teoscar Hernandez, an outfielder called up to replace Marisnick (concussion) on the active roster.

The spate of injuries, albeit minor, gave Hinch a peek at his roster depth. Things were a bit closer to normal on Friday, when the Astros (15-8) opened a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics with a 9-4 victory at Minute Maid Park.

"We try to prepare for everything," Hinch said. "Even if you do prepare for everything something comes up like a decision to move your outfield around. You can't plan for every single incident that happens but we try to play out every scenario. Usually I use Marwin (Gonzalez) as my answer to everything, so it's helpful to have him on the team.

"For the most part, you try to prep for anything that happens. No matter what you prepare for, you don't plan on having a bench of (Carlos) Beltran, Springer and Altuve. That looks awkward and feels awkward when I write it. We still found a way to play some good games."

Right-hander Joe Musgrove (1-1, 5.91 ERA) will start the middle game of the series for the Astros. He will make his third career appearance against Oakland, against whom he is 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 10 2/3 innings. In eight career appearances at Minute Maid Park, Musgrove is 3-2 with a 2.74 ERA.

Athletics right-hander Andrew Triggs (3-1, 2.42 ERA) will oppose Musgrove and the Astros. Triggs will make his fifth start of the season and 11th of his career. In two career appearances against the Astros, both in relief in 2016, he posted a 9.00 ERA and did not record a decision, recording nine strikeouts in six innings.

Like the Astros with the return of Altuve and Springer, the Athletics (10-13) also received some good news in advance of the series opener. Ace right-hander Sonny Gray pitched exceptionally in his second rehab start, twirling six shutout innings for Triple-A Nashville on Thursday night. Gray has yet to pitch for Oakland this season after being placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right lat.

Gray could return to the rotation as early as Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins. For a team with eight players on the DL, his return would be a boon.

"When you lose your No. 1 guy, everybody feels it," Athletics manager Bob Melvin said. "Get him back, that's a boost for you. We've been rotating other guys on the DL too now ... but whenever you get a guy like him back, everybody feels like you have a better team and that the pieces are in place the way you anticipated coming out of spring."