All across the league, there is no shortage of injuries and news. The Houston Astros 2020 season has been no different, especially in the past couple of days. Injuries have continued to pile up for Houston, which has lead the bullpen to shuffle a bit. There have also been changes to the starting rotation. Here are some Astros injury news and notes from the past few days.
Astros Injury News
Outside of Justin Verlander’s forearm injury, the biggest injury news for the Astros is the elbow injury to closer Roberto Osuna. This unfortunate elbow injury will likely force Osuna to have Tommy John surgery. Houston is seeking a second opinion on the matter, but manager Dusty Baker says “it’s not looking real good.” The 25-year-old will miss the rest of the season and the majority of the 2021 season if not all of it. The closer owns a career 2.74 ERA and has nailed down 155 career saves.
The Astros top prospect, Forrest Whitley, is dealing with arm soreness and has been shut down. Whitley will see a doctor sometime soon to determine the severity of the issue. The right-hander has been at the team’s alternate training site. The team is being very cautious with the 22-year-old, as he has dealt with various injuries since 2018.
There is good news on the injury front, as Michael Brantley is set to serve as the DH on Thursday’s game. The outfielder has missed the past two games due to a quad injury. Brantley has been one of the hottest hitters for the team, with a slash line of .438/ .514/ .656.
Other Astros News and Notes
Since the injury ends Osuna’s season, the Astros will likely use Ryan Pressly in that role. The 31-year-old is the one veteran in the team’s inexperienced bullpen. The right-hander has only one appearance this season, where he gave up a run in two-thirds of an inning.
The Astros have also decided to have Brandon Bielak replace struggling starter Josh James in the rotation. Bielak has appeared in two games, pitching 5 and one-third innings giving up one earned run, racking up two wins in relief. Meanwhile, James has had a rough go in his two starts, giving up seven runs in six innings, on four hits and 11 walks.
The time has come for the rosters to trim from 30 to 28. For the Astros, the odd men out are reliever Bryan Abreu and infielder Jack Mayfield. Abreu has pitched three and one-third innings, giving up one earned run, but walking seven. Mayfield has appeared in just two games, going 1-4 with two strikeouts.
Final Notes
The 2020 season has been eventful, to say the least. Just like the rest of the league, the Astros have plenty of injury news and other notes. The Astros have ten players on the injured list. This continues the unfortunate trend that has dominated the early season. The league is littered with injured players, specifically pitchers.
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