"How about we go to therapy instead of punching stuff", "Tremendously disappointing" - Houston Astros fans frustrated by pitcher Phil Maton breaking his finger punching a locker

The Houston Astros received disappointing news ahead of their American League Division Series matchup against the Seattle Mariners. Their reliever Phil Maton was frustrated after his final outing of the season and punched a locker after the game. The punch resulted in him fracturing his pinkie finger.

The reliever will be out for the rest of the season, limiting the Astros' bullpen. He was a key member of the bullpen as he appeared in 63 games this season. This is truly unfortunate for the Astros given how important bullpen pitching is in the postseason.

He isn't the first pitcher to take themselves out of the postseason due to punching something. Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers took himself out of the postseason last year while celebrating after the Brewers clinched the division. It was a huge loss for the Brewers last season.

Fans aren't too pleased with the reliever. They don't understand how you could do something so foolish with the playoffs that close. They believe Maton could benefit from the help of therapy.

Many fans are wondering why pitchers would hit something with their throwing hand. If there was one thing a pitcher should protect at all costs, it would be their throwing hand. The number of pitchers who have hurt their hand by punching something out of frustration is absurd.

Some fans are pointing out the potential reason behind Maton's anger after the game. He let his little brother get a hit off of him in the final game of the season. Maton's younger brother, Nick Maton, is an infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Houston Astros will look to their pitching depth to take them deep into the postseason

Even with Phil Maton out for the season, the Houston Astros have a deep pitching staff. Justin Verlander has been impressive all year, being the frontrunner to win the AL Cy Young Award. Framber Valdez has almost rivaled Verlander coming down in the second half of the season. He has an impressive MLB-record 25 consecutive quality starts.

Their experience in the postseason will also be an advantage for them. Players like Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Yordan Alvarez have experienced the postseason before and won't let the stage get too big.

The Houston Astros look like serious contenders to win the World Series this year.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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