Framber Valdez has not less than one staunch defender in his nook — his agent.
The Astros lefty was on the middle of a weird second throughout Tuesday night time’s loss to the Yankees when a pitch of his hit catcher Cesar Salazar straight within the chest protector, with the backstop wanting confused within the moments after and saying after the sport that the 2 received crossed up.
Nevertheless, some — together with ex-MLB pitcher Dallas Braden — speculated that the cross-up was intentional after Valdez gave up a grand slam to Trent Grisham within the prime of the fifth.
The cross-up got here moments after Salazar indicated to the starter that he ought to step off — wanting him to throw a curveball and never a sinker. He didn’t step off and threw a sinker that was smacked for a back-breaking homer.
Two pitches later, with Anthony Volpe on the plate, Valdez hit Salazar with a pitch after which turned his again towards the plate as he walked again to the pitching rubber.
Ulises Cabrera, Valdez’s agent, informed the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday that it’s “preposterous” to assume Valdez plunked his personal catcher deliberately.
“There’s no questioning what Framber is and what he represents to the crew and his thought course of on the crew,” Cabrera stated.“The concept that he’s deliberately attempting to injure one among his teammates is preposterous. It’s a whole lack of respect for who he’s as an individual and who he’s as a participant. And his physique of labor demonstrates that. Something on the contrary is simply utterly misguided and it’s not proper.”
Valdez and Salazar each stated it was a cross-up after the sport, and the pitcher stated he apologized to his catcher over the miscommunication.
“He referred to as for the curveball, and I didn’t hear it due to the noise,” Valdez stated. “After I realized that he didn’t need that, it was too late and I used to be already in my throwing movement. It was completely my fault in that case.”
“There wasn’t something unhealthy about it, simply pressed the unsuitable button and I used to be anticipating one other pitch,” Salazar added.
The 31-year-old Valdez, a two-time American League All-Star who will hit free company in a number of months, has a 3.40 ERA with 166 strikeouts in 169 1/3 innings this season.
