Sore elbow lands Devenski on injured list

The pitching-thin Astros placed righthanded reliever Chris Devenski on the injured list Saturday, retroactive to Wednesday, as the ballclub continues to suffer a rash of arm ailments associated with the season restart.

Devenski, who was suffering from elbow soreness, was replaced on the active roster by righthander Carlos Sanabria, who accompanied the team to Anaheim as part of the three-man inactive “taxi squad” allowed by Major League Baseball during the restart.

Devenski had pitched twice in the Astros’ opening series against the Mariners and allowed three runs in two innings pitched.

He joins pitchers Joe Biagini, Rogelio Armenteros, Austin Pruitt, Brad Peacock, Justin Verlander, Cionel Perez and Jose Urquidy, designated hitter Yordan Alvarez and infielder Aledmys Diaz on the Astros’ injured list.

Sanabria, 23, pitched for High Class A Fayetteville and Class AA Corpus Christi in 2019 and was 6-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 66.2 innings. Astros manager Dusty

Baker provided limited hope that the Astros will be joined in the immediate future by Alvarez, Urquidy or pitcher Forrest Whitley, three of the most prominent names at their Corpus Christi secondary training site.

Whitley, the Astros’ top prospect, felt arm discomfort while working in Houston during summer camp and also at Corpus Christi, Baker said. He continues to throw, but the discomfort has prevented him from being called up to the active roster.

“Do you take a chance and push him at this point?” Baker said. “If a guy says he’s sore, he’s sore. If he’s not right, he’s not right.”

Limping Bradley takes a seat

Outfielder Michael Brantley, one of two Astros players who had a hit in each of the Astros’ first seven games, was out of the lineup Saturday because of leg soreness in the wake of stepping on Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly’s foot at first base last week. Astros manager Dusty

Baker said Brantley, who is 11-for-27 on the young season, had been limping since his left foot came down on Kelly’s right foot on the inside part of the first base bag on Tuesday.

“From my experience, if this bone is connected to that bone and this muscle connected to that muscle, if you hurt one you end up putting strain on other parts,” Baker said.

“His legs are sore, the opposite of the one leg that he hurt, and I thought it would be better to give him a day off before he ends up pulling something. We can’t afford to lose Michael Brantley.”

Brantley and Carlos Correa are the first Astros teammates to begin a season with seven-game hitting streaks. Brantley had a hit and two runs scored in the Astros’ 9-6 win Friday night over the Angels.

Bullpen running short on arms

Relievers Enoil Paredes, Brandon Bielak, Cy Sneed, Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu were not available Saturday.

Paredes and Bielak pitched Friday night. Manager Dusty Baker said Pressly would have been available but he wanted to give the righthander an extra day before using him.

The Astros have not updated the status of Abreu since the righthander left the game Friday night with an abrasion on his thumb.