Musgrove shoots for 100 pitches tonight in 2nd start after DL

Joe Musgrove will make his second start for the Astros since coming off the 10-day disabled list in Sunday night’s series finale with the Boston Red Sox.

The righthander — who missed two starts this month due to inflammation in his right shoulder — last pitched in a 6-1 loss to the Texas Rangers on Monday, allowing two earned runs on five hits in a 75-pitch outing covering 42⁄3 innings.

Musgrove (4-5) said he felt some initial soreness after Monday’s outing because of the extended stretch of rest but is ready to go as long as he needs to on Sunday.

“I feel really good health-wise,” Musgrove said Saturday. “Hopefully, no pitch count (Sunday). I should be back up to somewhere around 100 pitches. So I’ll try to be as efficient as I can. I just need seven (innings).”

Manager A.J. Hinch doesn’t consider Musgrove to be 100 percent just yet.

“One step closer to that obviously, but we’ll increase like we would with anybody back up,” Hinch said. “He’s had a good bullpen session; he’s built a little bit of strength. He’ll take a step forward to being fully back, but fully back, to me, is extending him north of 100 pitches.” Coming around

Before Monday, it had been more than two weeks since the 24-year-old — who is in his first full season in the majors — had taken the mound.

His last start before being placed on the DL on May 30 was his best of the season. He threw seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 home win over Baltimore on May 26.

“I didn’t think the 17 days off would have much of an effect on me, but I didn’t feel that sharp (against the Rangers),” Musgrove said. “I felt good with my body and my health, but I just didn’t control the ball very well. I was in the zone with strikes, but I wasn’t really where I wanted to be.

“But I kind of expected that a little bit. When you’re out for two weeks, it takes you a little time to get that feel back. But off that outing, I feel really good going into this one, healthwise and control-wise.” Plugging the gaps

Musgrove is part of a starting rotation that has suffered a number of losses over the past few weeks. The Astros have been without Charlie Morton (lat strain), Dallas Keuchel (neck) and most recently Lance McCullers Jr., who was placed on the 10-day DL on Monday with lower back discomfort. And Collin McHugh (elbow impingement) has yet to pitch this season.

“We want to go out and put together quality innings every time. Yeah, it’s a little more important now when some of our horses are down, but I think everyone’s done a pretty good job of keeping us in the game,” Musgrove said. “We’ve got (David) Paulino, (Francis) Martes, who’s gotten his first couple of starts down and is getting a little more comfortable, so I think we’re going to be fine. It’s kind of nice to have a bit of a cushioned lead (in the division) like this so that there’s not a ton of pressure.”

Musgrove’s father, Mark, will not be in attendance at Minute Maid Park for his son’s Father’s Day start but will be watching on TV back home in California. He’ll come to Houston in July.

“(My father and I) sat down every night and watched the ballgame together, and he’d explain the ins and outs, and that’s kind of where I fell in love with the game,” Musgrove said. “He always did everything he could to make sure I had whatever equipment I needed, drove me wherever I needed to be — to tryouts, to games — so I owe him a lot.”

Musgrove will square off against Red Sox lefthander David Price (1-1) in ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” matchup at 7 p.m. mark.eisenhauer@chron.com twitter.com/mark_eisenhauer