9:45am: Highly regarded righty Bryan Abreu will take the open roster spot, per the Astros Future Twitter account (link). The 22-year-old already has a 40-man spot but hadn’t yet debuted in the majors. It could just be a brief fill-in job, but the Astros could also consider Abreu a late-season option at the MLB level. Abreu is said to possess high-end stuff but is still learning how to command it. He is being developed as a starter in the minors. In 55 2/3 innings this year at the Double-A level, Abreu owns a 5.17 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9.
9:28am: The Astros have placed reliever Ryan Pressly on the 10-day injured list, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It seems the move was technically made yesterday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic notes on Twitter, since it’s backdated to June 27th.
Fortunately, this still seems to be a minor issue for the Houston organization and one of its best arms. Pressly has been limited by knee soreness after being struck in the joint by a batted ball, but there’s no indication he is dealing with any structural issues. With a healthy division lead, the ’Stros can afford to allow Pressly a chance to heal up and get back to full health.
Pressly, 30, has been exceptional again this season after being traded to Houston in the midst of a breakout 2018 showing. (He went on to ink an extension that seems to represent an exceptional value for the club.) Through 44 1/3 innings in 2019, Pressly has produced a 2.03 ERA while carrying 11.2 K/9 against 1.6 BB/9 along with a 50.9% groundball rate.
With or without today’s injury news, the Astros figure to be on the hunt for relief arms. While it’s certainly not the chief need — that’d be in the rotation — the club could stand to improve and deepen its bullpen, particularly from the left side.
Seems like the magic is coming to an end, lotta straight fastballs
Lol…wut?…
His ERA before being hit in the knee was 1.42
What? He’s been far better in a HOU uniform than when he was in MIN. If “the magic is coming to an end,” and he carries a 2.03 ERA, WHIP under 1, and K/9 at 11, there’s a lot of teams with players who never had any magic.
Lol – it’s not magic he is pitching that well when not injured. Houston is just that much better than most other teams at maximizing pitchers arsenals (i.e., McHugh, Verlander, Cole, Pressley). When Altuve was hurting earlier in the season coming off knee surgery he was batting .246, but now that he is healthy he is back up to .300. Don’t be a bitter fan just because he is so much better in Houston than he ever was in Minnesota.
He was good in Minnesota, but Houston has used him better because they recognized his talent better than the Twins did.
….says the bitter Twins fan about the Astros all-star reliever acquired for a bag of magic beans!
As a Giants fan, I’m hoping the Astros pick up Bumgarner. He’d be fantastic in Houston.
Will Smith too..
Sorry both headed to the Twins. Better prospects in the farm. See you in the ALDS.
Have a nice overpay!
What I want the twins to do as opposed to what they will do are miles apart. Twins front office full of talkers no action.
My teams app has an article just out that madbum and Astros Rojas maybe a swap. Looks like he could be headed to Houston.
Shouldn’t the article have read that his IL stint was backdated to July 27th, not June 27th?
back dated to june 27th?
typo, june 27 should be july 27
Oh no does that mean Houston now needs a SP and RP lol well the Mets have both how about Wheeler and Familia for Tucker lol