12 Max Stassi C

Stassi went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 9-4 loss to the Rangers.

The home run was just Stassi's second hit in 22 at-bats. He showed some promise at the plate during the first half of the 2018 season, but opponents caught up to him and his playing time dwindled over the second half of the season. Stassi's appeared in just seven games in 2019 and will have a tough time reaching the 88 games he played in 2018.

Stassi started at catcher and went 0-for-3 in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Rays.

Stassi got the start on the second day of the season, catching Gerrit Cole on a night when an infield error led to three unearned runs. Stassi is the clear backup to Robinson Chirinos but should make a couple of starts per week. He was a member of the team last year when Houston led in catcher ERA, so manager AJ Hinch recognizes his defensive contribution and will keep him fresh.

Stassi went 2-for-2 with an RBI in Thursday's game against the Marlins.

Stassi looked like a find during the first part of 2018 before his offense fell off over the second half. He'll be looking to sustain his bat over the entire season but will do so as a backup to Robinson Chirinos.

Stassi believes he found the root cause of his offensive fade over the second half of 2018, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stassi was a surprise contributor in 2018, when he opened with nine extra-base hits over his first 74 plate appearances on his way to a .787 OPS in the first half. Opposing pitchers adjusted and Stassi faded to a .485 OPS after the All-Star break, forcing the Astros to add Martin Maldonado and move Stassi to third on the depth chart. The 27-year-old catcher was on plane during the early part of the season before the fade. The problem, according to Stassi, is that he'd "come out" of his legs in his batting stance and, therefore, was unable to cover all parts of the strike zone. He returns in 2019 as the primary backup to Robinson Chirinos and must discover a way to sustain offense for the full season.

Stassi went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Athletics.

Stassi's fourth-inning single was his first hit in two weeks, breaking an 0-for-13 skid. An unproductive bat -- the hit raised his second-half average to .173 -- is one reason why Stassi's lost playing time to newcomer Martin Maldonado, who has started seven of the last 10 games behind the dish. With Brian McCann (knee) expected back when rosters expand Sept. 1, Stassi's playing time will further dry up.