Angels steal third after Astros were distracted by infield dirt (Video)

The Astros can’t get out of their own way

With Alex Bregman on the injured list, poor Jack Mayfield has been tasked with replacing the production of a perennial MLB All-Star and MVP candidate who’s since been shamed into the shadows. This isn’t to suggest that Bregman’s injury isn’t legitimate, as his right hamstring issue has placed him on the injured list for at least the short term.

Mayfield is trying to leave his mark in the short time he has to prove himself, but this won’t help matters. The 29-year-old has just 73 career at-bats, and a .150 career batting average. In the field, he had been deemed an above-average replacement for Bregman. Yet, Mayfield found a way to embarrass himself in pretty much the worst way possible.

 Mayfield wasn’t paying attention at third base, letting the Angels steal a base in the process

Yes, Mayfield was distracted by the dirt, and the Angels took notice, stealing third base. While Mayfield was able to regain his composure last minute and run towards the bag, he was just a moment or two too late. No, this is not little league, we promise.

This isn’t a convenient time to tell Astros fans that Bregman is probably three weeks from conceivably returning.

“We’re hoping it’s a three-week thing,” Astros GM James Click said of Bregman. “Initially, that’s kind of the timetable we’re looking at. But obviously with all of these things, we have to be patient. We have to wait for things to calm down there and see how he responds to treatment.”

Bregman is a two-time All-Star and has finished top-5 in MVP voting on two separate occasions.