Brad Peacock

Just 10 days after being activated from the injured list, Astros righty Brad Peacock is headed back to the IL with right shoulder discomfort, the team announced. No timetable for his return has been provided, though Peacock told reporters that he’s undergone an MRI and is awaiting results (Twitter link, with video, via FOX 26’s Mark Berman). Right-hander Cy Sneed has been recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Peacock described a persistent “sharp pain” in his shoulder and acknowledged that the discomfort “got a lot worse” in last night’s outing. The right-hander hopes to pitch again in 2019 but won’t know his next steps until he meets with the club’s doctors later this afternoon. Previous MRIs have not revealed any structural damage.

The 31-year-old Peacock originally went on the IL in late June due to the same issue, and his rehab was slowed by a setback prior to last week’s return. It’s a worrisome injury for an Astros club that is already without one of its top relievers, Ryan Pressly, due to knee surgery. As The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan points out (via Twitter), Peacock’s velocity has been diminished since his return. The right-hander averaged 92.2 mph on his fastball prior to his original IL placement but, despite a move to shorter relief stints upon being activated, averaged just 91.3 mph on the pitch in his past three outings.

So far in 2019, Peacock has totaled 88 2/3 innings of 4.06 ERA ball, averaging 9.5 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and 1.42 HR/9 to go along with a 38.3 percent ground-ball rate. He’s earning $3.11MM in 2019 after avoiding arbitration last winter and will be arb-eligible for the finale time this coming offseason. Peacock can become a free agent following the 2020 season.

Injured Astros right-hander Brad Peacock has spent almost the whole season as a starter, but he may shift back to his old bullpen role when he returns. The Astros are “gearing” Peacock’s rehab that way, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweets.

The 31-year-old Peacock was among the Astros’ most useful starters before he landed on the shelf June 28 with shoulder discomfort. In 15 appearances and 80 2/3 innings as a starter this season, Peacock has posted a 4.24 ERA/4.32 FIP with 9.15 K/9 against 2.57 BB/9. The plan was for Peacock to return to Houston’s rotation sometime in July, but he suffered a setback midway through the month. As of two-plus weeks ago, the Astros’ hope was Peacock would come back around the midpoint of August.

Thanks in part to Peacock’s lack of availability, the Astros made other rotation arrangements at last week’s trade deadline. They pulled in two big-name starters – the ace-caliber Zack Greinke from the Diamondbacks and what they hope is a revived Aaron Sanchez from the Blue Jays. With those two and Wade Miley behind the all-world tandem of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, the Astros no longer need any help in their starting staff.

Fortunately for talent-packed Houston, Peacock is just a year removed from a valuable campaign out of its bullpen. He totaled 63 1/3 frames in 60 appearances as a reliever in 2018 and notched a 3.55 ERA/3.54 FIP with 13.36 K/9 and 2.84 BB/9. Peacock did have a tough time with opposite-handed hitters, which has typically been the case, but he has been lights-out against righties.

Brad Peacock and the Astros were hoping that the right-hander was ready to return to the starting rotation tomorrow, though Peacock will now instead visit with team doctors after feeling soreness in his throwing shoulder, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan).  Peacock reported the setback a day after a bullpen session on Friday.

Peacock had a 4.13 ERA, 9.4 K/9, and 3.56 K/BB rate over 85 innings for Houston when he first hit the injured list on June 28 due to shoulder inflammation.  Aside from a troubling 1.4 HR/9, Peacock has delivered thoroughly solid results at the back of Houston’s rotation this season, holding opponents to just a .295 xwOBA.

The Astros were already known to be looking to add starting pitching at the trade deadline, and today’s news will only intensify that search.  Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander, and Wade Miley provide a lot of strength atop the rotation, though aside from Peacock, the Astros’ other starters have struggled.  In the short term, Kaplan notes that Framber Valdez (he of the 5.28 ERA over 46 frames this season) is likely to pitch on Monday or Tuesday as either a starter or as a bulk pitcher behind an opener, with Houston going with a bullpen day for the other game.

Injured Astros right-hander Brad Peacock began a rehab assignment at the Double-A level on Wednesday, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports. Barring setbacks, Peacock could slot back into the Astros’ rotation by July 15, per Jake Kaplan of The Athletic (subscription link).

Peacock went down June 28 with with shoulder inflammation, which always sounds ominous for a pitcher. The fact that he’s on track to return within a three-week span is a victory for the Astros, who’ve seen Peacock offer fine production in a full-time starting role this season. After making 60 of his 61 appearances out of the Astros’ bullpen in 2018, Peacock has totaled 15 starts in 17 outings this year, pitching to a 4.13 ERA/4.15 FIP with 9.42 K/9 against 2.65 BB/9 in 85 frames.

The 31-year-old Peacock’s emergence as a credible complement to Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley has been an important development for Houston this season. After all, the club has had extreme difficulty finding another dependable starter to fill out its rotation. Collin McHugh joined Peacock in moving back to the Astros’ starting staff to begin the season, but the typically solid McHugh floundered there and has since returned to their bullpen. Top 100 prospect Corbin Martin, who initially replaced McHugh, struggled in his first taste of major league action before undergoing Tommy John surgery last week. Framber Valdez and Jose Urquidy, the other starters the Astros have tried, have also failed to lay claim to a spot.

Although no one has stepped up to give the Astros a fifth capable starter, they still possess the American League’s second-best record (57-33) and a 7 1/2-game advantage in their division. Even with Peacock on the way back, however, the Astros figure to add another established starter before the July 31 trade deadline. In fact, indications are the club’s going big-game hunting for another front-of-the-rotation arm to join Verlander and Cole. Noah Syndergaard (link), Trevor Bauer (link), Madison Bumgarner (link), Matthew Boyd (link) and Marcus Stroman (link) have all reportedly landed on the Astros’ radar.

The Astros have placed right-hander Brad Peacock on the 10-day injured list with shoulder discomfort and recalled lefty Reymin Guduan from Triple-A Round Rock, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle was among those to report.

The severity of Peacock’s injury is unknown, but regardless, it’s the latest unfortunate turn of events for the slumping Astros. The club has lost nine of 11, including a 10-0 drubbing at the hands of the Pirates on Thursday. Peacock started that game for the Astros and yielded six earned runs on seven hits and a walk (with two strikeouts) in three innings. The 31-year-old has now logged a nearly matching 4.13 ERA/4.14 FIP with 9.42 K/9 and 2.65 BB/9 across 85 innings and 17 appearances (15 starts) in 2019.

Houston already looks as if it’ll be in the market for starting pitching leading up to the July 31 deadline, and Peacock’s injury could further put the onus on the team’s front office to add reinforcements if he misses a solid amount of time. Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are once again enjoying excellent seasons, and Peacock and Wade Miley have done well in complementary roles. However, Collin McHugh, Corbin Martin (now injured and in the minors) and Framber Valdez (just demoted to the minors) have failed to nail down the No. 5 spot in the Astros’ rotation this season.