The Astros will have to navigate the stretch run without one of their most trusted late-inning arms for now. Left-hander Steven Okert has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 1, because of a right hamstring strain, and Bryan King has been recalled to fill the roster spot.
For Houston, the timing stings. Okert has carved out a major role in front of closer Josh Hader, working 67 2/3 innings with a 2.13 ERA this season.
The underlying numbers suggest some good fortune mixed in - a .226 batting average on balls in play and an 86.5% strand rate - but his 26.1% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate both sit a bit better than league average. His 3.23 FIP and 3.33 SIERA are more than a run higher than his ERA, though still strong enough to back up the idea that he’s been a quality arm.
That production has made him Houston’s top hold man by a wide margin. Okert leads the team with 21 holds, while King and Bryan Abreu are next with 12 apiece.
His absence leaves the Astros thinner in leverage spots at a time when they can least afford it. With barely three weeks left in the regular season, Houston holds only a two-game lead over the Rangers in the American League West.
The club will hope Okert can return later this month or in October. Until then, the bullpen will need answers from elsewhere.
Abreu is one candidate after an ugly start to the year; since June 3, he has a 1.57 ERA. AJ Blubaugh has also been a bright spot after moving from the rotation to the bullpen, posting a 1.88 ERA with a 30.3% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate in 52 2/3 innings dating back to May 27.
Outside of Hader, Houston’s left-handed relief options are King and Bennett Sousa. Sousa has a 6.23 ERA on the season.
King opened the year well, carrying a 2.03 ERA through July 7, but has struggled badly since then with a 13.15 ERA. He was optioned to the minors in both July and August, though he has thrown 4 2/3 scoreless innings in Triple-A this year.
In Other News...
Astros Just Got The Rotation Boost They Desperately Needed
Cristian Javier gave Houston exactly the kind of lift its rotation had been chasing, working through the Diamondbacks lineup with poise in a 3-1 win. The Astros backed him with a three-run third inning, highlighted by Yainer Diazs home run, and the right-handers command and swing-and-miss stuff gave the club a much-needed sign that one of its key starters is settling back in.
The bigger question now is what this outing means over the next stretch, because Houston has been looking for stability behind its top arms and Javier looked a lot closer to the version that can change the tone of a series. Josh Hader finished it off with a clean ninth, but the real story for the Astros was the way Javier handled a lineup with little room for error and left the mound having put his team in position to breathe a little easier. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Rotation Trouble Is Putting A.J. Blubaughs Role Under Pressure
A.J. Blubaughs path to Houston has always pointed toward the rotation. He came up through the Astros farm system as a starter, and even now, with the big-league rotation hit by injuries and uneven results, his name naturally comes up when the club looks for help on the mound. Instead, Blubaugh has spent most of his time in the majors as a reliever, and he has handled that assignment well enough to earn manager Joe Espadas trust in late-game spots.
The question is whether that role can hold if Houston keeps searching for answers behind its front-line starters. Blubaugh has yet to get a look in the rotation this season, which makes his bullpen success a little bit of a double-edged sword: it helps the Astros now, but it may also be keeping him from the opportunity that once seemed like the clearest fit for his future. With the rotation still unsettled, his usage is one of those roster decisions worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Scramble To Fix One Problem After Astros Series Loss
The White Sox made a quick roster adjustment after their series loss to the Astros, bringing catcher Kyle Teel back from the 10-day injured list after a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. In the corresponding move, Drew Romo was optioned to Charlotte, though he is expected to stay around the major league club on the taxi squad, giving Chicago a little extra flexibility behind the plate as the stretch run continues.
For the White Sox, Teels return comes at a time when every bit of catching depth matters, especially with the team still pushing in the American League Central race. The move does not solve everything, but it gives Chicago a healthier look behind the plate and one more option as it tries to steady things after running into Houston. [Read more 🡒]