Yordany

Ramirez

When Lake Elsinore and Lancaster get together, it’s in the rules that something interesting has to happen. Lake Elsinore won 30-0 on Friday, and Lancaster’s Aaron Bates hit four homers on Saturday. In Sunday’s game, Lake Elsinore came back to take the rubber game of the series 21-8. Ramirez also had seven RBI in Friday’s massacre, so he entered the series with 10 RBI and left it with 25. The 22-year-old is batting .291/.318/.419 in 148 at-bats.

It’s quite a surprise to see Ramirez, who spent six years in the Padres system, land on a 40-man roster. The 23-year-old hit .269/.298/.385 in 286 AB for Single-A Lake Elsinore and .315/.353/.433 in 127 AB for Triple-A Portland last season. The A-ball line better describes him as a hitter. He is a terrific defensive outfielder, so if he comes along offensively, he could have a career as a reserve. He’s a long shot, though. The Astros will have him open the year in Double- or Triple-A.

Ramirez, who was given a major league deal as a minor league free agent two years ago, remains on the Astros’ 40-man even though he hit just .256/.275/.381 in Triple-A last year. He’s a fine defensive outfielder, so there’s still a slight chance he’ll make it as a reserve. However, he’s now 25 and his approach at the plate is still as bad as ever.

Ramirez, a strong-armed former center field prospect, was hitting .223 with a .259 on-base percentage in 74 games this season at Triple-A Round Rock and was dumped from the Astros’ 40-man roster in July. Rather than give up the game of baseball or risk being released, he will attempt to convert himself to a middle reliever. That experiment will begin at Single-A Lexington.

The 25-year-old outfielder got the boot in order to clear roster space for shortstop Angel Sanchez, who was acquired from the Red Sox on Thursday evening. Ramirez was batting .220/.259/.280 at Triple-A Round Rock.